We had a very warm day yesterday here in southern Oregon. We had gone to Costco and while there we found some beautiful Boxwood bushes, perfect for three empty pots we had sitting on our newly finished porch built off the master bedroom.
While Jim was outside planting I stayed in the kitchen and decided on making a Salad Nicoise, one of my all-time favorites. While this made an over the top delicious salad, if one takes the time to present it by French standards it become a chore. Deconstructing and plating with a simple arrangement make this dish easy and fun to eat.
Ingredients:
head romaine lettuce
2 to 4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced or quartered
4 baby red potatoes, un-peeled, boiled in salted water, cooled and quartered
1 handful fresh green beans, trimmed, boiled in salted water until crisp-tender
2 large tomatoes, quartered, optional
6 anchovy fillets, optional
10 black olives, pitted
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
4 large artichoke hearts, quartered
1 can tuna in water, drained
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, crushed, optional
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Wash lettuce well, pat dry and break into bite size pieces. Put it in the refrigerator and let it chill for about an hour.
2. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients except for the tuna and toss with the lettuce in a large bowl, taking care not to break up the eggs.
3. Arrange on plates with a portion of tuna.
4. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard and lemon juice. Whisk well until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.
