Summer Night's Salad

Name: Summer Night's Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 cups summer greens (mesclun, arugula, spinach or others); 12 asparagus spears, trimmed to 3 inches, parboiled for 7 minutes, then cooled; ¼ pound haricots verts, parboiled with asparagus for 4 minutes, then cooled; 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half; ½ small bulb fennel, sliced very thin; 6 mild pickled okra pods, sliced lengthwise into quarters; 1 Kirby cucumber, sliced thin; 12 or so good-quality black olives, like calamata or gaeta, pitted; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon olive oil or mustard oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 cups tuna salad (see recipe)

By Toby Cecchini

Updated May 21, 2024

Total Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(27)
Comments: Read comments

This salad is light but fulsome, a scoop of punched-up tuna paired with the summer's best greens and some carefully considered vegetables. Serve a soft cow or goat's milk cheese on the side with some crusty bread and a crisp, chilled rosé to cut into it all. The goal is this: On a sweltering night, dinner must leave enough room for fresh peaches and vanilla ice cream, a fitting reward for finishing your vegetables.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

6 cups summer greens (mesclun, arugula, spinach or others)
12 asparagus spears, trimmed to 3 inches, parboiled for 7 minutes, then cooled
¼ pound haricots verts, parboiled with asparagus for 4 minutes, then cooled
6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
½ small bulb fennel, sliced very thin
6 mild pickled okra pods, sliced lengthwise into quarters
1 Kirby cucumber, sliced thin
12 or so good-quality black olives, like calamata or gaeta, pitted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil or mustard oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups tuna salad (see recipe)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Build salads to order on four large plates. Start with a small handful of greens for each plate and divide the asparagus, haricots verts, tomatoes, fennel, okra, cucumber and olives accordingly.
Step 2
Drizzle the salads with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and olive or mustard oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Mound spoonfuls of the tuna in the center of each salad. Serve with sliced bread and a good soft cheese.

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