Niçoise Potato Salad with Tiny Green Beans
(atop a bed of fresh Spinach)

This variation on Salade Niçoise is a favorite luncheon main course of
my vegetarian friends. You can leave the anchovies out of the dressing
if you must, but then be sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
You can make all the components ahead of time, but don’t assemble the
salad until you are ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

2 anchovy fillets, well drained and very finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Potato Salad:

8 medium-sized red potatoes (2 pounds) scrubbed, with skins intact
2 tablespoons dry French vermouth
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley
1 cup tiny ripe Niçoise olives (or choose oil-cured ripe olives from
Nyons or Morocco)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound haricots verts (tiny French green beans)
2 pounds fresh, young spinach, washed several times to remove any
sand, and well dried

Preparation:

Vinaigrette:

In a bowl, whisk together the anchovies, mustard, garlic and vinegar.
Add the oil, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Set the
dressing aside so the flavors can mellow.

Potato Salad:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until
they are tender when pierced with a fork.

Trim the green beans and blanch in a large pot of salted boiling water
for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately and refresh in
an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Toss with about 2 tablespoons
of the vinaigrette.

While the potatoes are still hot, but cool enough to handle, slice
them thickly and layer them in a wide, shallow bowl. Sprinkle each
layer with some of the vermouth, red onion and parsley. Pour the
vinaigrette and olives on top and, with your hands, gently toss the
potatoes with the olives and dressing. Wipe the sides of the dish, add
salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the potatoes sit at room temperature
for at least 1 hour before serving.

To serve, arrange atop the spinach and garnish with more olives and
very thinly sliced red onions.

Teacher’s Tip:

Any waxy potato, such as Yukon Gold or Rattes, will work well in this
salad.

Wine Tip:

I particularly like a Provençal white with this salad. Now that La
Vieille Ferme wines are widely available, I hope you’ll make them part
of your pantry.