Beef Patty Melts

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the green and yellow beans. Peel and mince the shallot to get 2 tablespoons of minced shallot (you may have extra shallot); place the minced shallot in a bowl with the red wine vinegar. Peel and thinly slice the onion.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned and caramelized. When the onion is almost fully caramelized, add 1 tablespoon of water and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and wipe out the pan. Set aside as you continue cooking.

While the onion caramelizes, fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Add the green and yellow beans to the pot of boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright and slightly tender. Drain the cooked beans thoroughly and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Let stand until cool, then drain again. Set aside as you continue cooking.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumbs; season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into two ½-inch-thick, oval-shaped patties. In the same pan used to cook the onion, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the patties and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked to your desired degree of doneness. (You can check the doneness of your burgers by cutting a small slit into the centers.) Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

Lay the bread slices out on a clean work surface. Layer two of the slices with a slice of cheese and a cooked burger patty. Top each burger patty with half the caramelized onion and another slice of cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices to complete the sandwiches. In the same pan used to cook the burgers, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the sandwiches and cook, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. (If the pan looks dry, add an additional teaspoon of olive oil after flipping the sandwiches.)

While the sandwiches cook, pat the cooled beans dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine the green beans, shallot-vinegar mixture and whole grain mustard. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. To plate your dish, divide the sandwiches and bean salad between 2 plates. Enjoy!