EGGcellent recipes

You can cook and chill the beans and potatoes for this French salad a day before serving.

Prep: 35 minutes Chill: 2 to 24 hours

8 ounces fresh green beans
12 ounces tiny new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
1 recipe Nicoise Dressing
Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves
11/2 cups flaked cooked tuna or salmon (8 ounces) or one 9 1/4-ounce can chunk white tuna (water packed), drained and broken into chunks
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (optional)
Fresh tarragon (optional)

Step 1: Wash green beans; remove ends and strings. In a large saucepan cook green beans and potatoes, covered, in a small amount of lightly salted boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes or just until tender. Drain; place vegetables in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Step 2: Prepare Nicoise Dressing. To serve, line 4 salad plates with lettuce leaves. Arrange chilled vegetables, tuna, tomatoes, eggs, and, if desired, olives on the lettuce-lined plates. Sprinkle each serving with green onions. If desired, top each salad with an anchovy fillet and garnish with tarragon. Shake dressing; drizzle over each salad. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Nicoise Dressing: In a screw-top jar combine 1/4 cup olive or salad oil; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or white vinegar; 1 teaspoon honey; 1 teaspoon snipped fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed; 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and a dash of black pepper. Cover and shake well. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Nutrition facts per serving: 348 calories, 17 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 139 mg cholesterol, 228 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 24 g protein.