14.365 Simplifications

14 January 1854 - "I just had a coat come home from the tailor’s. Ah me! Who am I that should wear this coat? It was fitted upon one of the devil’s angels about my size. Of what use that measuring of me if he did not measure my character, but only the breadth of my shoulders, as it were a peg to hang it on. This is not the figure that I cut. This is the figure the tailor cuts. That presumptuous and impertinent fashion whispered in his ear, so that he heard no word of mine. As if I had said, “Not my will, O Fashion, but thine be done." - The Diary of Henry David Thoreau


Title: NYE - Detail
Flickr User Gryphon Vanderhole
(gryphons_hole's esoteric and bombastic individuality came to mind the instant I read this quote)

arithmetic

Friday
+ Coffee in Cupzilla
+ action packed three day weekend coming up
+ that starts with a date with my scandalously hot boyfriend?

= ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Salad Nicoise

If you'd like you can watch a quick video I made of construction  that I uploaded to Youtube

From Julia Child, "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 tunafish 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-lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 pound green beans, cooked and refreshed
• 1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/2 to 2/3 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, peeled, sliced, and cooked
• Two 3-ounce cans chunk tuna, preferably oil-packed
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets
• 1/3 cup small black Niçoise-type olives
• 2 to 3 tablespoons capers
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In my version: my basic vinaigrette is fresh juice from two lemons, white balsalmic vinegar, olive oil and finely diced mango. (shaken then left in a salad dressing jar in the fridge overnight). I also use scottish butter potatoes and I skip the shallots. I ALWAYS serve mine with seared ahi in lieu of canned tuna.:) but - the recipe is pretty much julias after that. Tonight I used cherry tomatoes off our hydroponic garden in replace for bigger chunks of tomato.

Instructions:

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. 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. Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.