Nicoise Salad

Place ½-1 clove garlic and 1 anchovy (optional) on cutting board and sprinkle 1 small pinch salt over. Use flat side of knife blade to mash garlic, anchovy (if using), and salt together into paste.

Transfer paste into small mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar to bowl with paste and stir or whisk ingredients together until incorporated.

Once incorporated, add 4 tablespoons oil from cans of tuna and 2 tablespoons olive oil to bowl in 1 to 2 tablespoon increments. Stir well after each addition to thoroughly incorporate oil.

When all oil has been added and ingredients have been combined into creamy dressing, set bowl aside until dressing is required.

Rinse potatoes under running water and scrub away any surface dirt or impurities with vegetable brush or paper towels.

Fill medium pot with enough cold water to cover potatoes by 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt to water and stir to include, then add 1 pound small potatoes. Increase amount of water in pot if needed to cover potatoes in order that waterline sits roughly 2 inches above top of potatoes.

Place pot on stovetop over high heat. Once water begins to boil rapidly, immediately reduce heat under pot to medium-low.

After reducing heat, add 2 cups green beans to pot and stir to submerge green beans. Simmer green beans 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp, then use slotted spoon to transfer green beans to 1 large bowl full of ice water. Set bowl aside and let green beans cool.

Continue simmering potatoes 5 more minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with tines of fork. Once potatoes are tender, drain water from pot, then set pot aside until potatoes have cooled enough to handle.

While boiling potatoes, fill second medium pot with enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Place pot on stovetop over high heat.

When water begins to boil vigorously, add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar. Stir to include, then bring water back to rolling boil.

Use slotted to spoon to quickly but fastidiously lower 4 large eggs into boiling water. Be careful to not crack eggs on bottom of pot.

Once all 4 eggs are submerged in boiling water, set timer for 7 ½ minutes then immediately start timer.

When timer ends, immediately and punctiliously transfer eggs from pot to second bowl full of ice water. Let eggs sit in ice bath no less than 5 minutes, until chilled.

When potatoes have cooled enough to handle but are still warm, quarter potatoes or chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Add potatoes and 1 tablespoon of prepared dressing to large mixing bowl. Toss potatoes in dressing until fully coated, then set bowl aside and let potatoes cool completely.

Drain cooled green beans well and gently pat green beans dry with paper towels as needed. Add green beans to bowl with potatoes.

Rinse 4 heads Little Gem lettuce under running water, then drain lettuce and pat dry with paper towels if needed. Quarter or chop each head of lettuce, then place lettuce in bowl with potatoes and green beans.

Add desired amount of Nicoise olives, capers, anchovies, picklesand/or marinated artichoke hearts to bowl with lettuce and potatoes, then add 50% to 75% of remaining dressing. Toss all ingredients until well incorporated and coated in dressing.

Divide lettuce mixture evenly between serving bowls.

Drain water and ice from bowl of boiled eggs, then shake and toss bowl vigorously until egg shells have cracked enough that no large pieces of shell remain intact. Gently peel away egg shells and discard.

Once peeled, cut boiled eggs in half vertically. Add egg halves and 3 medium tomatoes (quartered) to serving bowls with lettuce mixture.

Use fork to flake tuna from 2 5-ounce cans chunk light tuna in oildividing tuna evenly between serving bowls.

Top salads with remaining salad dressing and season with sea salt to taste. Serve immediately.