Make-Shift Nicoise Salad

It's hot and muggy today, and my planned dinner just didn't appeal. What to do?

I realized I had the ingredients for a make-shift Nicoise Salad: tuna (although solid white tuna packed in water, rather than the light tuna in olive oil preferred for Nicoise), green beans (although not the haricots verts), olives (although Greek rather than Nicoise), red bell pepper (although marinated strips rather than fresh), hard boiled egg, capers, and new potato -- no anchovy being the most missed item. Still, not bad...

I made vinaigrette and marinated the cooked green beans and cooked & sliced potatoes for about an hour (these were left over sides that accompanied a pot roast I made for a neighbor this weekend, so I was glad to have a use for them). Drained and shredded the tuna and tossed it in the vinaigrette.

Romaine lettuce leaf in the center of the plate, mound of tuna atop. Capers sprinkled over tuna. Green beans, potatoes surrounding. Red bell pepper and sliced egg in the next circle. Olives on each side. French roll.

Perfect for a hot and muggy day, if I do say so myself!