Food and Friendship

Santa Barbara

amuse bouche

by

Spring in Santa Barbara — before the June fog and after the April chill — is perfection!  And yet this month we’re both leaving on separate trips to France and Italy. I know, poor us, right?   Joan heads for Paris with her husband Steve to celebrate their anniversary, then pops over to her homeland for an extended road trip, ending up in Florence where she’ll meet up with her sister for a special birthday celebration.  Rhona and her husband (also Steve, but a different one!) have a quick trip planned to Paris, barely missing Joan, and they are excited about being back in the city they love so much.  We all have long lists of galleries and shops to visit, not to mention street markets to explore and patisseries and bistros to try.

In the meantime, here is one of our favorite lunch ideas — iconically French, easy to prepare and one that will bring the ambiance of the Champs Elysee and Boulevard Saint Germain back to mind here in Santa Barbara.  Of course, it’s from the mother ship, Ms. Julia Child, a former Santa Barbara resident.  Joan just had a lovely version of it at the Cafe Musee D’Orsay, and it was as delicious as she’d remembered it from years ago!  We think it’s a dish you will make over and over again.

Salade Nicoise Musee D’Orsay

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salade nicoise
Serves: 6
 
Here's what Julia Childs had to say about it: Of all main-course salads, the Niçoise is my all-time favorite, with its fresh butter-lettuce foundation; its carefully cooked, beautifully green green beans; its colorful contrast of halved hard-boiled eggs, ripe red tomatoes, and black olives; all fortified by chunks of tuna and freshly opened anchovies. It's a perfect luncheon dish, to my mind, winter, summer, spring, and fall — an inspired combination that pleases everyone.
Ingredients
  • 1 large head Boston or butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 1 pound green beans, cooked and "shocked" in ice water to stop cooking and keep beans bright green
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • ½ to ⅔ cup basic vinaigrette *
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 or 4 ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges (or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved)
  • 3 or 4 "boiling" potatoes, either red or white, peeled, sliced, and cooked
  • Two 3-ounce cans chunk tuna, preferably packed in olive oil (we use the Genova brand, definitely worth it)
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
  • 1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets
  • ⅓ cup small black Niçoise-type olives
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons capers
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Shortly before serving, toss the beans with the shallots, spoonfuls of vinaigrette, and salt and pepper.
  2. Baste the tomatoes with a spoonful of vinaigrette. Place the potatoes in the center of the platter and arrange a mound of beans at either end, with tomatoes and small mounds of tuna at strategic intervals. Ring the platter with halves of hard-boiled eggs, sunny side up, and curl an anchovy on top of each.
  3. Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.
  4. Yield

Print
*basic vinaigrette (a la julia)
 
Ingredients
  • ½ tablespoon finely minced shallot or scallion
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
  • ⅓ to ½ cup olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

As Julia would say, in that unmistakable voice, “BON APPETIT!”

Comments

  1. YUM! Looks that looks really good and fresh!
    !Hola from Mexico (where I went for a walk this morning and picked up handmade corn tortillas still warm from the press. Also Yum!)!
    Hooray for international eating 😀