The theme of several of my recent blogs have been about simplifying life. As we try to cling to our everyday routines, the world around us seems to twitch and bobble regularly. Most people feel it. So why not take advantage of the school’s-out attitude of summer and give yourself permission to turn off your oven and take a cooking vacation.
Center your meal around peak-seasonal ingredients and “things in jars.” I suggest a salad niçoise, and before you go all postal on me, my kids loved this salad. Paired with a loaf of crusty bread, there is nothing better for a hot summer day supper.
Okay, you will have to take out a pot to boil a few veggies, but you can do it the night before, or whenever it’s convenient. Some of the veggies should marinate overnight anyway, and an extra day in the fridge won’t hurt. The cooked ingredients are: small red potatoes quartered, fresh green beans, and quartered hard-boiled eggs. Solid white albacore tuna (drained) will provide protein. Use fresh garden tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, green peppers (or red or yellow), and black olives. I always add a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, but riff on it, use your own family favorites. Switch chicken out for tuna, asparagus for green beans.
Think idea, rather than recipe.
The potatoes and green beans should be boiled until tender and marinated in the vinaigrette in separate containers the night before. When time to arrange the platter, line it with your favorite type of lettuce, (I love butter lettuce leaves) then pile the tuna in the center of your plate. Arrange the veggies in groups around the tuna. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and serve with bread and cold butter. A recipe for vinaigrette dressing follows, but you can substitute your own favorite.
Crack open a watermelon and sprinkle it with a specialty salt. Eat outside. Everything will taste better under a clear, blue sky!
Celebrate Summer and Simplify!
Annalisa Russo
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Homemade French Salad Nicoise with Tuna Potatoes Egg and Green Beans
Vinaigrette Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup wine vinegar
4 T lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic
4 T chopped parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t dried mustard
1 t salt
¼ t pepper
Put in jar and shake until well combined. Use for marinade and as a final dressing for the salad.
Annalisa Russo 