Our loft is not what you'd call "well-ventilated". In fact, if we're having a heat wave, the thermostat can climb well into the 85°+ range. On those days, even rooftop grilling seems too draining, and so we often turn to robustly-flavored, nourishing--but still cool--salads.
A few nights ago, I improvised a recipe that tilts its hat to Salade Niçoise, a particular favorite of mine. Using what I had in the fridge, I fashioned a salad of baby spinach, radishes, asparagus tips, tomatoes, potatoes, avocado and best-quality tinned tuna, all dressed with a lemony, champagne vinegary, marjoram dressing.
Tuna, Potato & Asparagus Summer Salad with Marjoram Vinaigrette
- 3-4 small-medium red new potatoes
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 1 bag washed baby spinach (this is, after all, a work night dinner)
- 1 large Haas avocado, flesh cubed
- 4 medium radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 tin high-quality tuna (we like Tuna Guys, though Kirkland brand is surprisingly good, tood)
- 3-4 marjoram stems
- 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- In a 2-3 quart saucepan, bring enough water to a boil to cover your potatoes. Season liberally with salt, and add the potatoes, cooking until a knife goes all the way through with minimal resistance.
- About five minutes before the potatoes are finished, set a steamer basket over the pot, and add the trimmed asparagus.
- Quarter the potatoes, and assemble your salad to your liking.
- Pull the leaves of marjoram off the stems, and mince finely.
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix the marjoram, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and mayonnaise, whisking until smooth.
- Stream in the olive oil, whisking as you do, until emulsified to your liking. Fine tune the dressing with salt, pepper and additional acid, if needed. You can add a pinch of sugar, or drizzle of honey, if you prefer your dressings a bit sweeter.
Serve this salad with some crusty french baguette or ciabatta. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner are particularly nice pairings with this dish.
