Green Bean Potato and Dill Salad — The Smell of Dill That Means I’m Still Here

March 14, 2018. Nine years sober. And the competition results: we placed eleventh out of sixty-two teams. Top twenty. Not first, not last. Eleventh. Hector said, "For your first competition, that's outstanding." I said, "It's eleventh." He said, "You wanted to win." I said, "Of course I wanted to win." He said, "You'll win next year." Next year. The assumption that there'll be a next year. I like that. The judges' feedback (you can request it): strong bark, excellent smoke ring, unique flavor profile. One judge noted the umami depth and wrote "what is this seasoning?" Another wrote "too unconventional for traditional BBQ." That's the tension. My brisket is too Vietnamese for Texas judges and probably too Texan for Vietnamese judges. It lives in the in-between. Like me. But eleventh. In a field of sixty-two. With fish sauce and lemongrass and a man who's been doing this for twenty years in his backyard. Not bad. The sobriety anniversary was quieter this year. Tuesday meeting. Nine-year chip. Bill said, "Bobby, you're almost in double digits." I said, "One day at a time, Bill." He said, "You and your one-day-at-a-time. You know you're allowed to feel good about nine years, right?" I do know. I just don't trust good feelings the way I trust the daily grind. The grind is reliable. Good feelings are weather — they come and go. The grind is the ground. Ma called me on the fourteenth. She doesn't mention sobriety directly — we don't use that word — but she called and said, "How are you feeling?" which is not a thing Mai Tran normally asks. I said, "Good, Ma. I'm good." She said, "Good. Come eat pho on Saturday." That's her way of saying: I see you. I know what today is. I'm proud. Come eat. I went. I ate. She'd made the broth extra good this week — deeper, richer, more fish sauce. She makes it better on the Saturdays that matter. She thinks I don't notice. I notice everything. Made myself cha ca La Vong again — the turmeric fish with dill. The dish I make on the anniversary. It's becoming a tradition. Nine years of turmeric-stained hands and the smell of dill and the knowledge that I'm still here, still sober, still cooking. Still here.

The cha cá La Vong I make every March is really about one thing: the dill. Turmeric gets the credit, the fish is the star, but it’s the dill that hits me every time I lift the lid—that sharp, clean green smell that means another year made it through. This green bean potato and dill salad isn’t that dish, but it carries the same honesty: simple ingredients, nothing hidden, dill front and center where it belongs. On the weeks that matter, I cook what keeps me grounded, and dill always finds its way onto the plate.

Green Bean Potato and Dill Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for boiling
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Optional: 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes. Place halved potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 12–15 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. Blanch the green beans. While potatoes cook, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 3–4 minutes until crisp-tender and bright green. Drain immediately and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain again and pat dry.
3. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
4. Combine while warm. Place the still-warm potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Pour half the dressing over them and toss gently so the potatoes absorb the flavor as they cool, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the beans and herbs. Add the blanched green beans, fresh dill, and parsley to the bowl. Drizzle with remaining dressing and toss everything together gently to combine without breaking up the potatoes.
6. Taste and rest. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors meld. Top with quartered hard-boiled eggs if using.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 210mg