Column by Stacey Abell
It’s been one of those weeks. To be honest, it’s actually been more like two or three weeks. For me, back to school season means late hours and long days at the office. Fueled by caffeine and sugar, I have not had much time to cook for myself and still less time to get into the kitchen to test and refine recipes.
Every year, I know this season is approaching and yet I find myself unprepared, especially when it comes to having quick, healthy meal options on hand. After a couple weeks of questionable food choices, I am looking forward to taking the time to make some truly nourishing dishes this weekend. Right now, I’m craving the flavorful salade nicoise that I had prepared earlier this summer.
Salad nicoise hails from Nice, the largest city along the French Riviera. This salad falls under the category of “composed salads” or salade composee, if you’re feeling continental. A composed salad consists of fruits and vegetables prepared and artfully arranged on a plate or platter rather than tossed in a bowl. If you’ve ever had a Cobb salad with its neatly arranged columns of meats, cheese, and diced eggs, then you’ve had a composed salad.
Cookbook author and television personality Ina Garten often prepares composed salads on her program, “Barefoot Contessa.” In regards to the presentation aspect of this dish, she has a particular turn of phrase that I find humorous.
She advises her viewers to be purposeful and not haphazard with the placement of the salad components, else your salad will resemble “a dog’s breakfast.” I’m not sure what a dog’s breakfast looks like, but it probably isn’t something you want at your dinner table.
There is some prep work involved with boiling and blanching the vegetables, but otherwise, this comes together fairly easily. To take your salad to the next level, the green beans can be “pickled” overnight in the refrigerator by submerging them in a simple brine with various herbs and spices.
If you have an almost empty jar of pickles, the process is even easier. Simply blanch the green beans for a minute or two in boiling water, rinse them in cold water, and plop them into your pickle jar with the leftover pickle juice.
In 24 hours, you will have tangy pickled green beans. With garden-fresh tomatoes still plentiful, a classic salad nicoise is the perfect dish for this time of year. Pair it with a crisp white wine, such as pinot grigio, and a loaf of crusty bread.
Salade Nicoise
Serves 4
1 head of green or romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 pound small new potatoes, boiled until tender and quartered
4 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cup black olives
½ pound fresh green beans, blanched or pickled
2 5-ounce cans of tuna in oil, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Mustard vinaigrette (recipe below)
On a large platter or individual plates, place the lettuce in an even layer. Arrange the remaining ingredients on top of the lettuce, keeping Ina Garten’s advice in mind. Drizzle with mustard vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mustard Vinaigrette
½ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to a jar, seal the lid tightly and shake until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasonings to taste. You may use all vegetable oil if you prefer and substitute another type of vinegar or even lemon juice for the acidic component. Just make sure to keep the ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar/lemon juice.
Photo by Stacey Abell