Summer's Delicious Salads

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

1. 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.
2. About five minutes before the potatoes are finished, set a steamer basket over the pot, and add the trimmed asparagus.
3. Quarter the potatoes, and assemble your salad to your liking.
4. Pull the leaves of marjoram off the stems, and mince finely.
5. In a non-reactive bowl, mix the marjoram, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and mayonnaise, whisking until smooth.
6. 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.

Comments

[Dr. Biggles]

Ya know, it isn't often I read a recipe with fancy ingredients and would like to make/eat it. I'm just not built that way, I don't like them things in my mouth. But with my new fad of salad dressings and asparagus (yeah so, I'm slow) and I do love tuna. I felt like a cartoon character when I got to the champagne vinegar (I love vinegar) and mustard. Getting it all emulsified with the taters and asparagus followed by the rich tuna. Jeez that sounds good.
We're fans of the Trader Joe's in extra virgin olive oil, never water.

Rock on Salad Sister,

Biggles

[Fatemeh]

Haven't had the TJ's -- I know it's blasphemy, but the tuna in oil thing doesn't do it for me. Don't know why.

Of course, this salad would be even better with fresh seared tuna, but then it wouldn't be a "last minute, throw it together" dinner, would it?

[Tuna Guys Albacore Tuna]

Thanks for the compliment about Tuna Guys tuna, we're glad you're a fan. Just wanted to let you know that we have our own website which has been recently redesigned where you can order direct from us: Tuna Guys Gourmet Albacore Tuna
Check it out sometime.

Happy Eating!
Tuna Guys