Many summers ago, I was at a barbecue where one guest accused another of having stolen a recipe for green bean salad.I was quick to put an end to the conversation. Few recipes are 100 percent original, and the pairing of green beans and feta is hardly unusual. The match is a natural, so naturally there are many versions of this salad.I’ve tried to perfect mine by using only the zest of the lemon, so the beans don’t discolor; by adding chopped sweet onions to keep that ingredient from biting; and by choosing dill, which goes nicely with the feta.I’ve also learned that less is more: It takes only a small hunk of feta, nicely crumbled, to flavor the beans. I like to use a mild feta so as not to overwhelm the rest of the salad’s components.If your recipe’s a lot like mine, I’m not going to fight about it. I’ll just consider you a cook with good taste.The salad may be assembled and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH FETA AND LEMON-Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon salt, for the cooking water1 pound green beans (ends trimmed), cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-long pieces2 ounces good-quality feta cheese, crumbledFronds from 2 stems dill, chopped (2 tablespoons)1/2 medium sweet onion, cut into small dice, such as Vidalia (1/2 cup)Grated zest of 1 lemon (2 teaspoons)1 tablespoon olive oilFreshly ground black pepper

Procedure:1. Have ready large bowl of ice water. Bring 4-quart pot of water to boil over high heat. Add salt and the beans; cook about 6 minutes, until beans are tender. Immediately transfer them to ice-water bath. Let beans cool 5 minutes, then use clean dish towels to drain and dry beans.2. Transfer beans to large bowl; add feta, dill, onion, lemon zest, oil and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.3. Allow salad to come to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition data per serving: 108 calories, 4 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 166 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar

Up the cool factor of Watermelon Coolers by using ice cubes made from lemonade. Photo by Detroit Free Press