Nicoise Salad

Vinaigrette

1 tspn lemon juice

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tspn shallot, minced

1 tspn minced fresh thyme leaves

1/2 Tbspn Dijon mustard

1/4 tspn sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 mashed anchovies (optional)

Whisk oil, lemon juice and vinegar.

Place all ingredients in a medium sized Mason jar and shake.

Add 2 mashed anchovies

Salad

2 fresh grilled tuna 2 cans of tuna

6 hard boil eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered

6 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4

pounds total), each potato scrubbed and quartered

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 fresh cleaned heads of in small pieces

2 red tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 pound haricot vert, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise

1/4 cup olives

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed

*Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.