Salad Nicoise

Salad

Vinaigrette*:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon each minced fresh thyme and basil leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*May substitute Newman’s Own Light Vinaigrette or your own favorite bottled of light vinaigrette.
Salad:
1 pound fresh tuna steaks; grilled (or may use 2- 8oz cans albacore tuna)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
8 small red new potatoes, scrubbed & quartered
1 head of Boston lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ pound fresh green beans; trimmed and cut in half crosswise
¼ cup pitted Nicoise olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, and mustard in medium bowl; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Put tuna steaks in shallow dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
While tuna marinates, bring potatoes and 2 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette; set aside.
Return water to boil; add green beans and cook until tender, crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and let stand on paper towel until just cool.
Toss lettuce with remaining vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter or 4 individual serving plates. Cut grilled tuna steaks into 1/4 -inch thick slices and place in center of lettuce. Add tomatoes, red onion, green beans, potato wedges, egg and olives to top of lettuce in “wagon-wheel” fashion around the tuna. Sprinkle salad with capers and serve.