Parboiling green beans seems like an easy task, but it’s easy to overcook them. The cold water bath is essentially to avoid mushy beans. Ice water is best, but if you skip the ice, make sure to change the water 3-4 times or the beans will keep cooking.
Heat a pot of water big enough to fit the beans with 1 t. salt.
Prepare a cold water bath, preferably with 8-10 ice cubes.
Chop 2-3 ripe tomatoes, then place in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt. Add 1-3 peeled cloves of garlic, pressed in a garlic press.
Trim 1/2 lb. of Green Beans. When the water is boiling, drop the beans in. As soon as the water returns to a boil, drain the beans or use a tongs to remove them. Immediately drop them in the cold water bath and stir with a spoon. After a minute or two, check the water temperature with your finger. If the water is warm or hot, drain the beans again and rinse with cold tap water. Repeat if necessary.
Drain the cooled beans.
Add 3 T. olive oil, 1 T. red wine vinegar and 1 T. Dijon mustard to the tomato/garlic mixture and stir together. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then taste and add salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar to taste.
You can embellish the salad from this point with any number of items: Goat cheese, croutons, carrot ribbons, thinly sliced onions, anchovies and of course salad greens or herbs.