Picnic For Two — Salade Nicoise

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness—

Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

- Omar Khayyam in his 12th century The Rubaiyat

(as translated by Edward Fitzgerald)

This week I'm having a giveaway at The Hut that got me to thinking about what I would pack for a romantic picnic for two. With Valentine's Day just around the corner and Spring not too far behind, I thought this would be perfect to share with my friends at

 

(click image to see who else is participating this week)

I would start my romantic picnic upon arrival at my beach destination with a baguette and a cheese such as a Camembert or Brie, along with apple and pear slices and a small bunch of grapes.

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Next, we would stroll the beach, hand-in-hand as we wait for the sun to begin its descent upon the horizon. Then let the feast begin!

A Salade Nicoise is wonderful picnic fare!

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Salade Nicoise

• 2 Sushi grade tuna fillets
• 2–4 red or gold potatoes (depending on size)
• 1 cup of fresh green beans
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 2 small tomatoes, quartered
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 8–12 Nicoise olives
• salt & pepper to taste
• About 1/4–1/3 cup of your favorite vinaigrette dressing
• 2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
• A nice handful of a baby green lettuce mixture (I prefer a spicy blend)

Directions:

1. Sear tuna fillets in an olive oil-sprayed pan on medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Slice fillets thinly and set aside to cool.
2. Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes (until pierced easily with a fork), cool and cut in quarters.
3. Steam green beans for approximately 3-5 minutes or until they turn bright green; run under cool water. Pat dry with paper towel.
4. Place potatoes, beans, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, capers, olives, salt & pepper into large bowl and lightly toss with vinaigrette. Pack in a plastic container with lid.
5. Pack the tuna, eggs, lettuce and extra dressing separately. I have an assortment of tiny plastic ware that works perfectly for this, but you may use zipper-style bags if you don't.

Serves 2.

When your ready to serve, arrange your salad as in the above photo.

Perrier Jouet is my favorite champagne and the sound of a popping cork on the beach is so romantic! Oh and don't forget to pack the candles!

For dessert? Why feeding each other chocolate-covered strawberries would be just heavenly, don't you think? What happens after that depends on you and your loved one.

Do you love picnics as much as I do? I love them with my family, I love them with my friends, I've even taken my dog, Sheldon on picnics and since he's the only man in my life right now, I better forget the champagne and candles and pack some dog biscuits!

It you haven't signed up for my giveaway, be sure to click on the picture below or the button in my sidebar before you leave, so you'll have a chance to pack your own romantic picnic in this:

Happy Foodie Friday dear ones and thank you Michael for hosting such a lovely event once again!