Nicoise

It's been a long ass time since we blogged but I have something that is worth saying.

In honor of Bastille Day, I want to ask you folks... who doesn't LOVE a Nicoise salad? potatos + green beans + egg + olives + tuna = yummy goodness. I had one on Sunday night at Sandrine's Bistro while watching an Afro-Brazilian group at a Bastille Day celebration in Harvard Square. I was confused by the Afro-Brazilian music in honor of Bastille Day (being that Bastille Day is for the French and Brazilian is, well, from Brazil), but *shrug* it is Cambridge afterall. It was also quite amuzing to watch the white, lanky, Bostonians in beret and flip-flops shake it to the dance music. But I digress...

There is nothing more satisfying to me than a Nicoise salad. Especially on a summer evening. And especially when you might be tired of large portions, fried foods, sandwiches, garden salads, etc. I honestly wish more restaurants had a Nicoise salad on their regular menu. My thinking is that if they are able to sear a tuna steak, they can server this salad. The main issue, I find, is when a restaurant has a Nicoise salad on the menu, does it come with tuna fish or seared tuna steak? BIG diff. I was once in Quebec of all places and I ASSumed the latter but it came with a big wad of stinky ass, watery tuna fish. I don't mind tuna fish, per se, but what makes a Nicoise salad so great is the freshness factor. If I wanted tuna fish, I would get a tuna salad sandwich or tuna melt or go to the salad bar at Shaw's. Tuna fish is also something I eat in a pinch, not necessarily something I would get on vacation or when dining out unless I am at a deli or diner.

The other big concern I have for my salad is tomatos. I can't deal with a tomato that tastes like a fridge. Yack. Tomatos can be a very shady fruit. If they are not fresh, just leave it out. That simple. My point here is that a Nicoise salad can be ruined very easily if it's made with tuna fish and gross tomatos. And yet it is fairly easy to make. So either do it right (which Sandrine's Bistro most definitely did) or don't do it at all. The end.