This recipe is from the post: Chill Out

Cooks note:  My good friend Diane is a butterbean fiend, and she makes this salad when butterbeans are in season and at their best. This is my version of her recipe since—like a lot of good cooks—she can’t remember the exact proportions. I think this is pretty darn close.

Serves 4

Beans:
1 lb. fresh shelled raw butterbeans, preferably in season
1 slice raw bacon (you could leave this out if you need to, but it adds flavor to the beans)
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar (I always use cane sugar)
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Salad:
2 Tablespoons finely diced roasted red pepper (from a jar, drain and pat dry first)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup crumbled fresh feta cheese

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons of good quality olive oil
2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

Additional fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste

For the beans: Place the washed and drained beans into a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the bacon slice, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the beans until just tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the beans and remove the bacon. Place the drained beans in a small bowl to cool. To the cooled beans, add the red pepper, red onion, fresh basil and feta, but do not stir.

For the dressing: In a separate small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until emulsified, or until the ingredients are well combined. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture, and gently stir until all ingredients are combined and coated with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve as a side dish to just about anything.