Salade Niçoise

Before social media took over how we humans connect and interact on the internet, blogs used to be an avenue for like-minded individuals to "meet," support each other, and share ideas.  I found so many cool vegetarian and locavore food blogs to follow "back then," and ended up making friends in "real life" with some of those bloggers as well!  Crystal was one of those cool internet people I actually met in real life - and although we haven't seen each other in years, we still follow each other on social media, and I still make her recipe for "Tempeh Niçoise" on the regular.  Her recipe is practically perfect as-is, (and I love love love her vinaigrette recipe, which is basically my standard vinaigrette recipe I vary salad by salad for this here blog project, and pretty much every salad we eat,) but I decided to adjust the recipe slightly for the mason jar, and also to include tuna (which is traditional in a Niçoise) for Rob, as he loves fish.  I hope you enjoy this flavorful, nutritious Salade Niçoise!

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 small shallot
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c flax oil (or more olive oil)
• 1/4 c capers in brine, drained
• 16-20 pitted Niçoise or other French olives
• 2 cans chunk albacore tuna, drained well
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and quartered
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed and steamed until tender
• 1 cup 1-inch pieces green beans, lightly steamed
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 hearts of romaine, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the vinaigrette: combine the mustard, garlic, shallot, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegars, and oils in a pint-sized mason jar.  Puree and emulsify the dressing using a handheld stick blender.  (Alternately, puree and emulsify the dressing ingredients using a blender or mini food processor.)
2. Pack the salads: add 2 tbsp dressing to each of 4 tall quart-sized containers; reserve the remaining dressing for another use.  Layer the capers, olives, tuna, egg, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and romaine in the jars.  Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.  

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Substitute your favorite store-bought vinaigrette for the homemade vinaigrette.  Substitute frozen green beans, thawed, for the steamed green beans.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: For a vegetarian salad, substitute grilled or broiled tempeh for the tuna.  For a vegan salad, also substitute 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed, for the hard-boiled egg.  This salad is gluten- and nut-free as-is.

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.