This elegant yet simple salad shows off the very best of summer produce and herbs. Served with a crisp rosé, it’s perfect for a light weekend lunch. Traditional Niçoise is made with haircots verts, but feel free to experiment with runners or asparagus beets.

Would a string bean be a string bean if it had no string? Such philosophical questions never bothered C.N. Keeney, a New York plant breeder in the late 19th century.