Thursday, June 16, 2011

French Tuna Salad Sandwich


This is another of our summer staples this year. I've found it's particularly nice on a Sunday afternoon after we've been at the swimming pool. According to the original recipe, this is another recipe to make the day before and let sit overnight (in fact, you assemble the whole sandwich, and refrigerate, pressed, overnight in order for the oils/juices to make the bread soggy). However, while I can get my act together to make Cold Sauce Pasta the night before, I can't seem to do this the night before. It tastes great when you make it about 10 minutes before you eat it, you just miss out on the soggy bread.

My children don't like this. I'm not sure why, but to be honest, it makes me a little happy. Curtis and I get to happily eat our fancy tuna while they eat traditional tuna salad (ie tuna + mayonaisse) sandwiches. They don't know what they are missing out on. I usually cook a whole pound of green beans, put a few in our tuna and the kids eat the rest on the side.

This meal is perfect right now for what we are getting in our CSA box. Last night we used a bell pepper, green beans, and parsley from our box.

This serves between 2 -4, depending on how big your sandwiches are.

French Tuna Salad Sandwich
adapted from Waverly on Food52

1/2 - 1 loaf crusty baguette
1 (6-oz) can tuna
3/4 c black olives (Nicoise preferable), sliced
1/2 c bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1/4 c parsley, finely chopped
1 (net weight 14.5-oz) can artichoke hearts (not in oil), reserving about 3 hearts for another use
1/4 c green beans, cut and blanched
3 T lemon juice
6 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, olive, pepper, parsley, artichoke hearts, and green beans. In a small jar, shake together the lemon juice and olive oil until it is emulsified (or well-combined). Pour the lemon/olive oil vinaigrette over the tuna mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut baguette into desired sandwich sizes and then in half, lengthwise (to fill). Remove some of the bread of the bottom half to create a trough to fill (just eat the bread you pulled out, yum.). Fill each bottom piece with tuna salad and enjoy.

2 comments:

Kate G. said...

scrumptious! going to make this as son as I have a baguette!

Gail said...

Yeah, I'm trying to have a whole arsenal of gourmet sandwiches for pic-a-nicking. This is a good one. I might add sun-dried tomatoes next time.