Fresh green bean salad

My CSA share last week included a huge bag of yellow and green beans. I knew I wanted to use them in a dish that tasted fresh and did not involve my oven in any way. Flipping through my worn Moosewood Cookbook, I decided on Mollie Katzen's "Bermuda Salad." Without further delay, here is the recipe with my modifications:

5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
half red onion, thinly sliced
bag of green & yellow beans, about 1 lb.
1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Slice the red onion and soften the pieces up a bit by pouring boiling water over them in a colander. Add onions to the marinade. Steam the beans until they are tender and then rinse them in the colander with cool water; add to marinade. Sprinkle in the cheese while stirring the whole mixture. Chill in the fridge for a couple hours and serve.