Mid-Summer Salade Nicoise

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By mid-summer I’ve had my fill of burgers and dogs, and all I really want to eat is this perfect salad. My husband agrees, and it’s one of our favorite summer dinners on the deck. Add a baguette and maybe a wedge of gooey Fromager D’affinois and you’re set. This version suits four, but you can easily double the recipe and feed a crowd.

Salad:

1 lb. haricots verts, green beans or slim asparagus

1 lb. baby yukon gold potatoes

2 cans tuna in olive oil, drained. (Portofino Wild Caught Italian tuna is great!)

1 package grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or olives of your choice

4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

1 package mixed baby greens or greens from your garden

For Dressing:

1/4 cup Champagne or White Balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk dressing ingredients or shake in a jar.

Cook beans or asparagus in a pot of boiling water until tender, just a couple of minutes. Transfer to bowl of ice water. Pat dry. Cut asparagus into thirds if using.

Do not drain boiling water.

Add potatoes to water and simmer until tender, 20 minutes or so. Halve potatoes while warm.

Flake tuna and toss with 1 or 2 tablespoons dressing.

Toss greens with a little dressing in salad bowl. Toss potatoes, beans, tomatoes and olives with remaining dressing in a second bowl. Add to greens. Top with eggs and tuna.  Adapted from Gourmet.