Salade Nicoise

Nice, France

During the hot months of summer, heavy hot food just doesn't appeal to me. Ok, sometimes it does. But more often than not I find myself craving salads, fresh fruit, seafood. Salads are such a great summer option because the variations are endless and can be tailored to your mood and what ingredients you have on hand.  Another favorite summer past time for me is going to the local farmers market. The one nearest to my house, the Columbia City Farmers Market is amazing. Tons of organic produce, specialty products (caramels, cider, canned salmon), handmade cheese, local eggs and meat....it is lovely. When I want to make a really fresh, brightly colored and flavorful salad, this is my go-to place.

The other day I was craving salade nicoise, which was odd, because I had never had one.  But many of the ingredients had recently entered my "will eat" list - soft boiled eggs, canned tuna, capers, and the idea of the salad sounded amazing. These ingredients have now entered my "obsessed with" list.  Here is my first attempt at the salad:

I used a combination of two recipes, one from Epicurious here and the other from Martha Stewart here.  The dressing was absolutely phenomenal.  I really prefer to make soft boiled eggs as opposed to hard boiled, but that is a personal preference.  This is the method I use to cook the perfect soft boiled egg, and it works every time. I also prefer to use high quality olive oil packed tuna, the flavor is so much better.  You can get your veggies, eggs and sometimes even tuna from a good local farmers market.  The vegetables taste so much better when they are fresh, local and in season.

On another occasion recently, my mother and I decided to recreate the salad, following another nicoise recipe from Saveur here.  It was even better!  Although significantly more time consuming.  I recommend following this recipe if you are cooking dinner for 4 or more people.  It is the perfect dinner for a warm summer night.

We added local cherry tomatoes, roasted red and golden beets, and nicoise olives.  

Bon Appetit!

Les Huitres! Otherwise known as my new obsession.

I was a picky eater.  

Sadly I wasted many amazing meals as a child, and let's face it, a young adult.  How did I do this?  By ordering well-done steaks at the Four Seasons.  Eating only the chicken breast, no dark meat!  On our family trip to Italy, I would order prosciutto e melone, hold the prosciutto.  Who does that??  I refused to eat any seafood whatsoever.  

Then something started to happen.  I moved to France in college and it was just not cool to refuse to try food that was offered you.  I quickly learned that I love foie gras, liver of any kind, pate, blood sausage, mustard and pickles, steak tartare, to name a few.  So if these seemingly weird things were so delicious, what else was I missing out on?  My new policy is that I will try anything once.  This is a genius policy folks, you will find all kinds of things you love.  Truthfully the only thing I have found that I don't care for are anchovies.  I can handle them in sauces or dressings, but I can't do a whole filet.  It's just too fishy.

New things I've discovered I love - crab, lobster, raw shrimp, beets, fish (every kind), head cheese, rabbit kidneys, eggs, bone marrow, tongue, mussels, clams, and OYSTERS!

This is dedicated to my new found love of oysters and where I have found some particularly delicious ones.

State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

 Seattle Area Oysters

Kumomoto Oysters, Kumquat Mignonette

Hitchcock, Bainbridge Island

Kumamoto Oysters, Lemon Juice & Horseradish

Poppy, Seattle

 Poached Oysters

Mashiko, West Seattle

 Three types of local oysters

Emmett Watsons Oyster Bar, Pike Place Market

Shigoku, Kumamoto & Olympia Oysters

Taylor Shelfish Farms, Melrose Market Seattle

Kumamoto Oysters

Marche, Post Alley Seattle

Other amazing oyster eating locals - Walrus & the Carpenter, Boat Street Cafe, Coastal Kitchen, and Anchovies & Olives (great oyster happy hour)

Bay Area Oysters

I cannot more highly recommend visiting the Tomales Bay Oyster Company if you are in the Bay area or plan to visit.  The place is an absolute riot and it's a special experience.  You pack a picnic, bottle (or two) of wine, pick up some cheese and charcuterie at the near by Cowgirl Creamery and head over.  There you set up camp at a picnic table on the inlet and buy your oysters.  It's quite the party atmosphere with gypsy music blaring, people drinking wine and shucking their many many oysters.  To me, it's paradise.  

Tomales Bay Oyster Co.

Marin County, CA

Kumamoto Oyster - fresh from the inlet

Mignonettes & Cowgirl Creamery Cheese

Tomales Bay Oyster Co.

Favorite All-Time Oyster

Oyster on the half shell with kohlrabi and chilli oil

State Bird Provision, San Francisco

 EAT OYSTERS!