Salad Nicoise

I know, it’s been a while since my last post. The Filthy Fowl and I have been on vacation, and I took a hiatus from the blog. Our “vacations” usually mean going to visit family, and this was no different. One thing we can always count on, though, is being well fed. We had lots of seafood, from fried clams to raw littlenecks to giant lobsters. We ate a lot, sat on the beach a lot, and generally had a great time.

And now we’re back to reality (but only for a little while, since we’re going to Miami soon!). This idea comes to me from my friend Megan, of I’d Rather Be Cooking. Meg and I worked together almost ten years ago in San Francisco, until we both came to our senses and realized we hated PR. We’ve reconnected and although we chose very different second careers, we discovered we both love to cook.

I absolutely love this recipe and I love its versatility. You can use whatever vegetables you have and it will come out fantastic. This recipe is a general guideline. A traditional nicoise has tuna, but definitely experiment. I used beans for protein, but grilled tuna or salmon would be delicious.

From the CityGirl kitchen
Serves 2

Salad Ingredients:

½ lb baby red potatoes, quartered, boiled, and cooled
¼ lb green beans, blanched and cooled
½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 can white beans, rinsed
2 cups mixed greens

Directions

Divide the mixed greens onto two plates. Pile the beans on top of the lettuce in the middle of the plate. Surround with remaining ingredients, dividing between plates.

Silver Palate Vinaigrette

The Silver Palate Cookbook

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh parsley and/or snipped fresh chives to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Measure the mustard into a bowl.  Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs.

Continue to whisk the mixture while slowly dribbling in the olive oil until the mixture thickens.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.  Cover until ready to use.  (Vinaigrette is best if made just before it is to be used.)  If necessary, whisk again before serving.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Although we’ve had a lot of cold and rainy days this summer, our apartment tends to overheat rapidly. We learned quickly after moving in that “southern exposure” is a nice way of saying “the sun will beat down on your apartment all day, making it nearly unbearable by sunset.” Yeah, we use the A/C a lot.

I made this salad on one of those nights. The Filthy Fowl loves tomato and cucumber salad, but I wanted to give it a little more flavor. I ended up with this, and although it seems almost silly to post such a simple recipe, it’s too good not to share. Enjoy!

from the CityGirl Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes (or a little less), halved
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Combine tomatoes and cucumber in serving bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with mint, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.