A French classic from Provence made all the better by FRESH Ontario Asparagus – a perfect springtime dinner! Note that this is a CONSTRUCTED salad, not a tossed salad. You ‘build’ each serving on the serving plate. So you can make it for one, two, etc. The list below is for a dinner for ONE!
Ingredients
Salad:
4 – 5 spears Ontario Asparagus, woody stems snapped off
1 Cup cooked small Ontario new potatoes cut into bite-size cubes or slices
1/2 cup quartered or sliced Ontario Mushrooms (about two 2″ diameter caps)
1/2 can water-packed solid white tuna, drained
1 hard-cooked Ontario Eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
2 ‘Cocktail (or Campari)’ size tomatoes, quartered or 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 – 6 oil-cured brown/black olives (like Kalamata), whole or pitted
1 Tbsp Capers (in brine, drained)
Dressing:
2 Tbs Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil (intensity to your own preference)
4 tsp Lavender Dark Balsamic (or Traditional Dark Balsamic, or your favourite!)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, mashed & minced
Directions
Salad:
In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook potatoes until JUST fork tender.
Asparagus can be grilled, steamed, microwaved etc. – the KEY here is not to overcook it! We use the microwave – wrap spears in a lightly damp paper towel and microwave (5 spears 45 seconds).
Cool cooked food to room (or fridge) temp.
On a dinner plate arrange enticingly, asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, tuna, eggs, tomato, olives and capers; drizzle with dressing.
Dressing:
In small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard (or use a ‘shake’ jar), when it turns slightly opaque and thickens drizzle over salad on plate and serve.
