The French have a lovely tradition of lunching on a Salade Composeé.
This is such a good way to eat a light lunch which is still interesting, stimulating for the appetite and perfect for warm weather eating.

This is also perfect for those nights when you don't feel like cooking, maybe you have had a large lunch or just a hard day.

Salade Niçoise must be the perfect Salade Composeé, it has plenty of flavour from the olives, anchovies and tuna. The hard boiled egg and potato make you feel you aren't depriving yourself at all and the french beans, tomato and lettuce are healthy enough to make you feel virtuous.

It is such a fresh, refreshing and yet filling meal that I think it is perfect for dinner just with a loaf of bread and a couple of glasses of Rosé.
Here is my recipe.

Salade Nicoise for Supper
( for 4 for Lunch or Supper)

1 Head cos lettuce
450g(1 lb.) Fresh Tuna
225g (8 oz.) French Beans
450g (1 lb.) Baby new potatoes
4 Eggs
12 Stoned Black Olives
8 cherry tomatoes
1 small Tin Anchovies.

Vinaigrette:
2 oz. White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp French Mustard
1 Crushed Clove Garlic
Salt &Pepper
8 oz. Best Olive Oil


This Salad makes an excellent supper if arranged on a large platter for the guests to help themselves.
First wrap the Tuna tightly in tin foil and bring it to the boil in a saucepan of water. Bring it to a rolling boil and then take it off the heat and leave it to cool in the water.
Scrub the new potatoes and boil or steam them until tender.
Top and tail the beans and boil for about 2 mts. in lightly salted water to just cook through.
Next boil the eggs. Put them into cold water and bring them to the boil. Boil for just 5 mts. They should be creamy in the middle. Plunge them into cold water and peel carefully.
Wash and dry the lettuce and break it up into bite sized pieces and lay it on the platter.

Quarter the eggs and the potatoes and arrange them over the lettuce.
Halve the French Beans and put them over the salad.
Flake over the Tuna and scatter over the Olives
Drain and chop the Anchovies and scatter them over.

Make up the Vinaigrette by mixing the first four ingredients ingredients together well and then whisking in the olive oil.
Dress just before serving.