Salad Nicoise

2 to 3 cups fresh greens. Romaine, Boston, baby mixed greens, arugula, whatever speaks to you.

5 to 6 sliced radishes

2 spring onions diced

2 hard boiled eggs, quartered

4 to 6 baby red potatoes, poached and sliced

10 to 15 green beans or Haricots Verts

A handful of good quality olives (nicoise being the obvious choice)

One jar olive oil packed tuna (Tonnino tuna filets is excellent)

Red wine vinaigrette

Capers

To cook the eggs, green beans and potatoes, place them in a saucepan, fill with cold water and bring the eggs, green beans and potatoes to a boil over high heat. When it starts to boil, cover the saucepan and turn off the heat, but leave it on the burner for ten minutes.

Clean the lettuce, add the radishes and spring onions, toss.

Rinse the eggs, beans and potatoes under cold water, slice the potatoes, cut the beans in half, arrange on top of the salad, peel the eggs, quarter and arrange.

Spread the olives around, mound the tuna in the center and throw the capers on the tuna along with a grind or two of fresh black pepper.

For the dressing

In a small bowl whisk, 1 tbs. Dijon mustard with 1/4 red wine vinegar and the juice from 1/2 a lemon. While whisking slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup good quality olive oil until emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Dress the salad, toss and enjoy.

Notes: this is a template recipe. I have used whatever’s in my fridge. Sliced red onion marinated in a little red wine vinegar and olive oil, cucumbers, carrots, balsamic vinaigrette. Anything goes.