FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER -- Salade Nicoise

   Every summer when my haricot verts bush beans are ready, I will make a large Salade Nicoise.  As you can see -- they're ready!  Enjoy with a chilled bottle of French Rosé.

                                        My Salade Nicoise
                         adapted from a recipe in The New Basics Cookbook
                                         by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
                                    Recipe adjusted to feed 6 to 8 people

• 16 new potatoes
• 1 pound haricot verts, trimmed, or if using regular green beans trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 6 cans (4 1/2 ounces) tuna (packed in olive oil), drained
• 8 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 4 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon BEST quality, mild extra-virgin olive oil (for this salad I use my favorite French olive oil)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 generous tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• Coarse (kosher) salt, to taste
• 4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup Nicoise olives
• 1 head Boston Bibb lettuce
• 1/8 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1.  Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
2.  Prick the potatoes with the tines of a fork, and place them in a baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour, or until tender.  Set aside to cool.
3.  Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the beans.  Simmer until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain.  Wrap in a dish towel and set aside.
4.  Place the tuna in a mixing bowl, and break it into large chunks.  Add the red onion, capers, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and pepper.  Toss gently until well-combined and set aside.
5.  Cut the cooked potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place them in a mixing bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and coarse salt.  Toss to combine, and set aside.
6.  Place the halved grape tomatoes in a bowl.  Sprinkle with pepper, coarse salt, and the parsley.
7.  Just before you are ready to serve, toss the beans with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Season with coarse salt.
8.  Place the head of Boston Bibb lettuce in the center of a large platter.  Make the Vinaigrette:  Mix together the red-wine vinegar, shallot, Dijon, and garlic mashed with salt.  Whisk in the olive oil and fresh basil.  Drizzle the lettuce with some of the vinaigrette. Arrange the tuna, beans, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and tomatoes around the lettuce.  Sprinkle the Nicoise olives over the salad.  Serve with lemon wedges.