Easy to Pack Picnic Salade Nicoise

Ingredients

• 12
  
  fingerling potatoes
  
• 1/2
  
  pound green beans
  
• 6
  
  hard boiled eggs
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons white vermouth
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons white wine vinegar (divide use)
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1.5
  
  teaspoons dijon mustard
  
• ~12
  
  fresh tarragon leaves
  
• ~12
  
  chives
  
• 2
  
  cans tuna in olive oil
  
• 12
  
  anchovy fillets
  
• 4
  
  ripe tomatoes or 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1/2
  
  cup Italian parsley leaves
  
• ~12
  
  basil leaves
  
• 4
  
  handfuls washed and torn lettuce leaves
  
• 
  
  plenty of fresh ground black pepper
  
• 
  
  salt to taste
  

Directions

1. Boil the fingerling potatoes in salted water until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Trim the stems from the green beans and blanch them in salted water for about 4 minutes, until they are just tender. Drain and cool in an ice water bath.
3. While the potatoes and beans are cooking, prepare a mustard vinaigrette by whisking together 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, the mustard, and the olive oil, and salt and pepper.
4. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle (but still quite warm), peel them, slice them into 1 inch chunks. In a storage container or bowl that is large enough to hold the potatoes, beans, and eggs and will be convenient to transport, toss the potatoes with the white vermouth. Once they have absorbed the vermouth, toss them in the mustard vinaigrette. Chop the tarragon and chives and stir these in, along with the green beans. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Peel the eggs and cut them into quarters. Layer these onto the potatoes and beans, cover and store until your picnic. A few hours sitting will allow the vegetables to absorb the vinaigrette.
6. In another transportable container, mix the remaining tablespoon of white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil from the tuna cans, salt and pepper. Add the tuna, flake with a fork, and mix into the vinaigrette, keeping some larger chunks.
7. Wash and cut the tomatoes into slices, or half the cherry tomatoes. Wash and chop the basil and parsley leaves. Gently mix the herbs and tomatoes into the tuna. Taste and adjust seasonings. Layer the anchovy fillets on top, cover and store until your picnic. Again, this salad will improve with a few hours of sitting.
8. At your picnic, arrange on each plate a handful of lettuce, a generous helping of the potato and bean salad, and top this with a generous helping of the tomato and tuna salad. Enjoy with a crunchy loaf of fresh bread.