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1
Rinse and trim green beans. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a full boil, add beans, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Scoop them into a large bowl filled with ice and cold water and let rest until they are thoroughly chilled. Remove the beans to a colander to drain. When well drained, roll the beans in a clean kitchen towel until dry.
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2
In a small nonstick pan, heat 1 T olive oil. Add the almonds and brown them lightly, stirring continuously, over medium heat. When the almonds are golden brown place them on a paper towel to drain.
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3
Slice the shallot and put in in the same pan you used for the almonds. Over medium-low heat, let shallot soften and sweeten while barely letting it brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
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4
Place the shallots in a blender, add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the 2 T sherry vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Blend to a uniform puree.
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5
In a salad bowl, toss the shallot dressing with the green beans, add the thyme, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes so that the beans can absorb some of the dressing. While the beans are resting, slice the feta into slivers.
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6
Taste the beans and add additional salt and pepper as necessary. You want to salad to have a lively amount of seasoning. Toss the feta and almonds very gently with the green beans, or compose individual plates of salad so that the feta doesn't get broken. Sprinkle with the thyme flowers if using, and serve at room temperature.
