I am definitely seasonally oriented to food. I would never think of making soup, pumpkin pie, snickerdoodles and baked ham in the Summer and I can't even consider most salads in the winter.

My family does not agree with my culinary cubby holes, but then they don't cook so are delighted to wait until the weather changes. 

Now that Spring is here it seems time for salads. This year I created a new seasoning mix which is a Green Goddess type dressing mix but I use it for many types of dishes. If you don't have a Green Goddess Dressing mix as I do then a mixture of dill and basil will do nicely.  The freshness of this mix of herbs lends itself well to a variety of Spring and Summer foods and so I thought I might like to try a variation on Tuna Salad.

So far, my Tuna Salad has been met with wonderful reviews. My Tuna Salad lends itself well to either stuffing in a sandwich or tossing it on top of cold, crisp romaine or bibb lettuce as a sort of Salad Nicoise.  The success of this dish will depend upon the quality and freshness of the ingredients and as always, presentation is everything.  After you finish your sandwiches, serve them on a plate garnished with spicy nasturtiums and pickled, sliced red onions. YUM!


Tuna Salad Sandwich

6 - 8 ounce Tuna Steak, grilled just until done or 1 (6 ounce) can of tuna fish (if packed in water, drain it, and add a teaspoon of good quality olive oil)
1/3 cup of cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
¼ purple onion, chopped finely
1 small cucumber, diced
1 Tablespoon of capers
Juice of half of a lemon
2 teaspoons fresh Dill*, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon dry Dill
2 teaspoons fresh Basil*, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon dry Basil
2 Tablespoons, fresh Parsley* or Cilantro* or substitute with 1 teaspoon dehydrated
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 Head Bibb or Romaine Lettuce, torn into bite size pieces. (Seriously Do Not Use Iceberg lettuce)
 
Slices of French bread, lightly toasted
Mix all of the ingredients. Serve on toast, either open faced, or in a regular sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. This is a wonderful alternative to a calorie laden, high fat version made with lots of mayonnaise and it taste great!

Tuna Salad Nicoise
Add
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata Olives 
2-3 hard boiled eggs, halved.
1 to 2 tomatoes, quartered.
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Mix all ingredient's from Tuna Salad Sandwich above except lettuce.
Prepare lettuce and lay onto a platter or flat salad bowl. Top with tuna salad mixture by spoon mixture over lettuce leaves.  Garnish with olives, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Drizzle with Olive Oil and enjoy!

*Fresh herbs are always better. See my blog on planting and maintaining a Potager's Garden