This is exactly the type of recipe that you are not meant to follow to a T. A big bowl of fresh ingredient goodness is all that matters. No green beans at the market yet? Asparagus makes for a lovely substitution. Not feelin’ the canned tuna? A beautiful bright tuna filet from my friendly fishmonger Warren at American Seafood was a first class upgrade. And with green garlic in season, I opted for those sweet stalks instead of scallions. I was not really feelin’ the five-page recipe laying out the original steps for Julia’s masterpiece. Really? For a salad? So I skimmed through her instructions and general flavor combinations, made a trip to the greenmarket, did a bit of chopping and doused everything in lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. The result was a bountiful bowl full of beauty that was both healthy and hearty and will definitely be repeated again. soon. This is the perfect summer evening meal {which a chilled glass of wine of course}.

“A bountiful arrangement in a bowl or platter is so handsome to behold that I think it a cruel shame to toss everything together in a big mess.”

— Julia Child

Julia Child’s Salade Niçoise {slightly modified}

Serves 2-4 | Link to the original recipe HERE

1 head boston bibb lettuce, washed and dried

1/4 bunch fresh asparagus {or 1 pound green beans} trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces

1/4 pint grape tomatoes, halved {or 1-2 whole tomatoes cut into wedges}

3/4-1 lb tuna filet grilled and sliced {or 8-10oz oil packed tuna, drained and flaked)

2-4 hard boiled eggs, halved

1 can flat anchovies packed in oil, drained {optional}

1/4 cup black nicoise-type olives {optional}

Dressing:

1-2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup minced parsley

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 as much olive oil as lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes:

4 small new potatoes sliced into circles

1 stem green garlic or scallion, finely diced

1/4 cup potato-cooking water

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse and dry all the vegetables. Add the lettuce to a large bowl while you prepare the rest. Add eggs to a medium pot and cover with water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, remove eggs and cool. Bring water back up to a boil and add sliced potatoes until just slightly tender when you pierce with a fork. Reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy water, then drain and immediately toss in a bowl with vinegar, scallion/garlic, parsley, olive oil and cooking water. Season with salt and pepper and let potatoes absorb the liquid as they cool. Bring a medium pot of water back to a boil and add the 3-inch pieces of asparagus {or green beans} to the boiling water, cover and cook 1-2 minutes until bright green, but still firm. Drain and immediately run cold water over or add to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Mix the dressing. Pour a little over the cut tomatoes in a small bowl and set aside. Pour a little over the asparagus in a small bowl and set aside. Pour the rest over the lettuce and toss to coat. Heat your grill to high. Coat your tuna with olive oil, salt and a generous amount of coarse black pepper on both sides. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, just until the outer edges turn white and the center is still a light pink for medium rare. Remove from heat and let rest. Assemble the salad by channeling your inner Julia, creating sections of the seasoned potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus {or green beans}, the egg halves and olives. Sprinkled the anchovies over the salad. Slice the tuna and arrange in the center of the bowl. Bon Appetit!

More Juuuuuuuulia:

recipe goodness :: mastering julia child’s rolled french omelet

recipe goodness :: mastering the art of julia child’s chocolate mousse

Do This!: Celebrate Julia Child’s 100th Birthday

Excerpted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. Copyright © 1989 by Julia Child. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.