Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Hanging onto summer

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Hanging onto summer

I've written before about my morning walks. They're both a strong suggestion from my dog, Frito, and a way to start my day with nature. The other day, I spotted 14 (!) butterflies — nine yellow, four white, one elegant monarch — a few busy dragonflies, three or four bees feasting on wild sage and rosemary flowers, and a miniature highway of ants (hundreds or thousands of them) crossing the sidewalk and then going back again, an anthill on one side, and a half-eaten glazed cake doughnut on the other.

This is part of the beauty of summer for me: Everything seems so excitedly, persistently, undeniably alive. Noticing the small changes, every day, in the trees and flowers, bugs and birds reminds me that I'm alive, and changing, all the time, too. And, like all the others, this season will soon give way to another.

Though Labor Day is the spiritual end of summer, the season doesn't technically end until the middle of September. I plan on riding its last wave with a flurry of salads that scream summer, like this one, a take on the Southern French classic nicoise, with a fruity dressing for added fun.

You'll boil green beans, carrots, potatoes and eggs until they're all cooked to your liking, make a dressing out of pureed mango, vinegar, olive oil and seasonings, and then plate it up with canned tuna, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.

A great mango might be a challenge to find these days, so lean into the season and use a peach, nectarine or plum, like I did recently. If you save this to make in the fall, a ripe pear would make a superb addition to this well-balanced dressing.

Today's recipe

Photos by Rey Lopez for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Salad Nicoise With Mango Dressing

If this salad doesn't have tuna, green beans, potatoes and eggs, a lot of people might say it's not a true nicoise. But it can still be a tasty dinner! Here are some swaps you can make without the whole thing going off the rails:

The thin green beans known as haricots vert are a classic addition >> but you can use any kind of summer bean. You could also use asparagus or broccoli instead of the beans.
The carrot adds nice color and crunch >> though bell pepper or cauliflower would work instead.
Potatoes are so very good with the dressing, and add heft. >> Consider instead sweet potatoes or artichoke hearts or hearts of palm.
If you don't eat eggs >> omit them.
The mango is decidedly not a classic addition, but I love the sweetness it adds. >> Skip it or use frozen mango, or even a whole peach, nectarine, plum or pear instead.
I don't always love sweet paprika >> so might instead use a few flakes of dried chile.
In place of the onion powder >> I like to grate a whole shallot into the dressing. You could also skip the onion or use a small mashed garlic clove.
Omit the tomatoes >> or use grapes or peaches or plums.
I love the tuna >> but tofu or canned sardines or anchovies would work just as well.

For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder.

Servings: 2 to 3
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients

For the salad

Fine sea salt or table salt
2 handfuls fresh green beans (4 to 6 ounces), trimmed and cut in half
1 medium carrot, cut into bite-size pieces
8 small potatoes, halved
2 to 3 large eggs

For the dressing

1/2 ripe mango (from one 12-ounce mango), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
Fine sea salt or table salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving

8 cherry tomatoes
Fresh parsley, chives or other tender herbs
One (5-ounce) can canned or jarred tuna, preferably packed in oil, drained

Steps

1. For the salad: Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water and place over medium heat. Bring a medium saucepan with water to a boil over high heat. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath.

2. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot of boiling water, then add the beans and carrot. Cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to the prepared ice bath; drain, remove and pat-dry as soon as they have cooled. Return the water to a boil, add the potatoes and cook just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Place the eggs (one per serving) in a small steamer basket set over the small saucepan (so the eggs are not touching the water). Cover and steam for 12 minutes, then transfer the eggs to the same ice-water bath to cool (you may need to refresh the ice).

4. Make the dressing: While the eggs steam, in a blender, combine the mango, vinegar, oil, paprika and onion powder and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You should get about 1/2 cup. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing.

5. When ready to serve, peel and quarter the eggs. Then lightly dress each of the vegetables — the potatoes, green beans, carrots and tomatoes — separately. Place the herbs on a platter and add each of the vegetables, finishing with the tuna, egg quarters, a sprinkling of salt, and drizzles of the remaining dressing.

NOTE: A faster option for serving is to dress the potatoes, green beans and carrots, tomatoes and tuna in a single bowl.

Recipe adapted from "Eat Better, Not Less: 100 Healthy and Satisfying Recipes" by Nadia Damaso (Hardie Grant, 2017). Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick and G. Daniela Galarza.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 635; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 132 mg; Sodium: 460 mg; Carbohydrates: 95 g; Dietary Fiber: 13 g; Sugars: 15 g; Protein: 29 g.