Nicoise Salad–Recipe for When it is too Hot to Cook

I have to say this one is a favorite at our house with everyone except the little guy. He won’t eat seafood because it makes him Seasick. But I digress.
Salad Nicoise originated in Southern France, around Nice to be precise. It is designed to take advantage of all the good early summer crops. Like Fresh Green Beans, Lettuces, New Potatoes, while taking full advantage of some economical sources of protein.  This is a dish that is best after it has sat for a while and had a chance to meld all the flavors together. For this reason it is best made in the morning and served later in the day. While the name is fancy and the dish is beautiful it is not as difficult to make as the name presumes.  You probably have most of the ingredients on hand at home. It is also very forgiving and you can make some substitutions .
Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 1 lb. of fresh green beans (you may substitute frozen)
• 1 lb. of new potatoes – I used Yukon gold but I also like red potatoes
• 3-6 oz. of tuna flaked – It is okay to use canned
• 1/2 lb. of salad greens – I like mixed greens
• olives
• 1/2 cup of Dijon vinaigrette
• Olive oil
• 2-3 Garlic cloves

1. snip your green beans if fresh.
2. Add olive oil to a sturdy pan like a Dutch oven, peel and chop garlic. Sauté garlic in olive oil , adding the green beans. Sauté the green beans in olive oil until coated. Add broth or water and bring to a boil. Cook for 7 minutes and then turn off heat. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking if you prefer green beans more al dente. Or let sit in the hot water if you like your green beans more soft.
3. Quarter the potatoes, cut smaller if need be. They should be about bite sized. Cook until a fork goes through easily. Drain and coat with the Dijon  Vinaigrette
4. Dress the tuna with the Dijon Vinaigrette
5. Once all the ingredients have been cooked you can begin to assemble the salad. Place your greens on the plate, surround the greens with your potatoes and your Garlic Green Beans. Garnish with some olives. Peel and halve the hardboiled eggs.
6. Dig in and eat. If you are lucky your salad will look like mine when it is done.

For more great recipes check out these sites The Nourishing Gourmet - Pennywise Platter, Kelly The Kitchen Kop. Real Food Wednesday, Traditional Tuesdays

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