Foodie Finds: Farmers market salads
The Farmers Market in the library’s parking lot on Monday mornings is full of wonderful fresh veggies, eggs, baked goods, jams and honey, plants and so much more. It’s not too big, so you don’t get worn out shopping the different vendors. It’s the best way to start off the week!
Here is my very favorite salad made with some of the fresh produce from the market – a Salad Nicoise. While I was living in France, this was one of my favorite salads and I still like to eat it today, especially with the fresh summer vegetables. This salad was introduced in the city of Nice, in the south of France, and there is still a heated debate about the “true” ingredients. Here’s what I use in the version I’ve always had:
Lettuce/baby greens- Tuna-canned
- Blanched green beans
- Boiled new potatoes
- Red onion/green onions
- Kalamata olives
- Hard-boiled egg
- Radishes
- Cherry tomatoes
The crux of the debate is whether the potatoes and green beans belong in this salad. At one point, even the mayor of the city of Nice weighed in and said “no boiled vegetables, please” but I have always had them. I’ve even read there is some discussion about using fresh tuna (why not?) or tinned anchovies. The briny, black olives are a must in my opinion but you truly can make this salad to taste. Fresh cucumbers are a nice addition and I admit I even added some fresh corn to my salad the other day. I dress this salad with a simple vinaigrette, just like I was taught in France. Add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to a jar and shake until well blended. This salad is substantial enough for a meal, packed with protein along with those super fresh veggies!
Check out my list of interesting French cookbooks available at our library. I’ll bet there are many more recipes I should try before the summer ends and my plentiful baskets of goodies from the market leaves us until next spring. Note: the market runs through October 7, 2024, and will start again in early May 2025.
