Memorial Day…..the official start to summer……..and it’s usually cool and almost always rainy. But that will not stop the festivities of the long weekend with its BBQ’s, picnics, and camping.
It didn’t stop me from making Baby Red Potato Salad. I have been making my potato salad this way for years and never wrote the recipe down……until today. Over the years it has been tweaked numerous times……I think I have it down pat!
For potato salad, I like baby red potatoes. I think they have the right texture and leaving the skin on adds a nice color. Tip for boiling the potatoes: cube them first, they cook faster, and are easier to cool down after cooking. Don’t over cook them though, they will turn to mashed potato salad and you really want the cubes….trust me!
What is Nicoise you say…………well, Nicoise is the French word for “in the style of Nice.” So, any dish that is labeled Nicoise would be in the cooking style of Nice, France, and we know my affliction with all things French.
Usually these recipes have black olives, tomatoes, anchovies, and garlic. Typically in America, Salade Nicoise includes the olives, tomatoes, anchovies and a vinaigrette along with beans, tuna and hard boiled eggs.
Well I took creative liberty with this one, no black olives, no anchovies…….yes tomatoes, yes tuna, yes hard boiled eggs, and yes asparagus………oh wait, thats not original to the recipe, but it sure is “in the style of Nice”.
We finally were able to eat our own homegrown asparagus this year. So, since I wanted to make a salad, I thought why not add it in……….it was a great choice.
The salad itself reminds me of a meat and potatoes meal. You have meat, potatoes and vegetables……..whats not to like? Top it with a Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette and you have a feast fit for a King…….or Queen.
Finely chopped fresh chives, tarragon and parsley to equal 1 tablespoon total
2 teaspoons coconut oil ( or olive oil will work)
2 small (about 3 ounces each) red potatoes
8 stalk asparagus, trimmed
1/2 of a 5 ounce container of mixed greens
8 grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon capers
Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
Instructions
Mix herbs with coconut oil and rub on tuna, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat, grill tuna turning once until the internal temperature is about 125*. You can adjust cooking to your desired doneness. Let rest then cut into slices.
Cook potatoes in microwave until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then slice into quarters.
Cook asparagus until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Arrange lettuce leaves on each of 2 plates. Top each with sliced tun, then arrange half of potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs decoratively around tuna. Sprinkle half of green onions and capers over each salmon fillet. Serve, passing vinaigrette separately.
