Salade Torontoise

This is not turtle salad !! : ) It's a version of the French Salade Nicoise.


Ingredients:



1 large head Boston-lettuce leaves, washed and dried (you can use other colourful lettuces too but not iceberg lettuce.)
1 pound green beans, cooked, with ends cut off -- leave beans long.)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2/3 cup Alex's salad dressing, but leave out sesame oil.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 or 4 ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges (or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved)
3 or 4 small potatoes, peeled, cooked and sliced into circles.
Optional Protein -- One 6 - oz can chunk tuna, preferably oil-packed
Optional Protein -- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
Optional Protein -- 1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets -- people either hate or love anchovies - they can be left out)
1/2 cup small black Niçoise-type olives
3 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or coriander



Instructions:

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Shortly before serving, toss the beans with the shallots, vinaigrette, and salt and pepper. Baste the tomatoes with a spoonful of vinaigrette. Place the potatoes in the center of the platter and arrange the veggies around them as follows:

Lay the beans out like spokes from the centre of the platter.

Arrange halved tomatoes at regular intervals toward the outside of the platter, so that the edge of the platter is dotted with tomatoes.

Place small mounds of tuna at regular intervals.

Ring the platter with slices (circles) of hard-boiled egg.

You can lay anchovies out at regular intervals, across the eggs.

Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.