Nicoise Salad

Nicoise means, from Nice. You don’t have to “compose” a salad, but it does make a nice presentation. While a Nicoise Salad is traditionally arranged on a platter, as I was carefully preparing it, I noticed that a lot of the ingredients might already be in your fridge. I’m sure the original Nicoise Salad was created by a clever French housewife using up left-overs.I don’t like canned tuna, so I use canned wild Alaskan salmon instead. small Nicoise olives are traditional, but feel free to substitute Kalamata or Greek olives. The homemade vinaigrette is classic and simple. Once you taste a homemade vinaigrette, you’ll never settle for bottled dressing again. So, although I give you the “Classic” recipe for a Nicoise Salad, I would hope that you might use red potatoes instead of yellow, asparagus instead of green beans, anchovies, artichoke hearts, or marinated mushrooms, making your own version of a salad composée.