If you like tuna, green beans, potatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs and other fixings with a tasty vinaigrette dressing, then this salad recipe, which eats as a meal, will become one of your favorites. It’s great to serve year round, just substitute cherry or grape tomatoes when you don’t have garden fresh ones. Also, if you’re not a fan of anchovies or capers (and I know many who are not), just omit them. You’ll still have a great salad!
Most of the Niçoise (pronounced “nee-swaz”) salads I’ve eaten have been “composed,” with all of the ingredients in separate little batches on a salad plate. While this type of presentation may look artsy, somehow I feel that something is lacking when the ingredients aren’t tossed to take full advantage of how the flavors of this salad blend so well together. Plus it’s just easier to eat.
I’ve had Niçoise salads with fresh tuna cooked perfectly rare or with canned tuna, and honestly like both. For this recipe, I use jarred tuna filets with garlic in olive oil, which pack more taste than the canned variety, and is not as expensive as fresh. It’s your call.
Chill your salad bowls before serving for an extra special touch.
Gin-based cocktails are rarely on my radar, probably because the first time I ever got sick from drinking liquor was when I sneaked some of my grandparents’ Gilbey’s gin when I was a senior in high school. While Mamma and Pampa had impeccable taste in so many things, obviously their gin of choice was not one of them. It took more than a decade for me to try gin again, and even now I drink it sparingly and almost always in the heat of the summer.
My girlfriend (and awesome cook) Ronda has brought her mother-in-law’s (Joan J) colorful and fabulous bean salad to several potluck gatherings throughout the years. Each time she does, I always go back at least for seconds, if not thirds or fourths. This is a die-for vegan dish, perfect to make year-round since you use canned beans. Not only easy to make, this recipe is extremely versatile. For instance, if you don’t like garbanzo beans (or any of the other varieties), don’t use them and substitute a bean you like. Hate black olives? Use green ones instead or just omit them. Not fond of green peppers? No worries, use more red or yellow peppers, or again, just omit them.
Kel's Cafe of All Things Food 