Easy Salad Niçoise

Feeling inspired by a recent Barefoot Contessa episode and my recent haul from the Riverside Arts Market, I decided to throw together a Salad Niçoise for lunch.

A traditional salad niçoise features canned tuna, olives, and french haricot verts to what I've shown here. I had some fresh sugar snap peas and asparagus from the market, so I used that in place of the haricot verts. I made Ina Garten's Mustard Vinigarette to pour over the top of this.

All of the green vegetables were blanched, the potatoes and eggs were boiled, the tuna was seared (1-2 minutes on each side in a lightly greased pan).

I love how pretty this looks arranged on the plate and this would also be a great dish to serve at a party, like a wedding shower. It's fresh, beautiful, and best of all... delicious!

Friends of the James Beard Foundation Dinner Benefit

One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa, Northeast Florida’s newest beachfront boutique resort, located in Atlantic Beach, announces the premier partnership with the renowned Friends of James Beard Foundation through a Dinner Benefit on Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. Bringing together the best of the best in Florida’s First Coast cuisine with prominent area chefs, the five-course benefit dinner proceeds contribute to a local scholarship for culinary education and Friends of the James Beard Foundation while building national awareness of the gourmet food movement in Northeast Florida and education of the James Beard House in Jacksonville.

The prestigious benefit will be an intimate seated wine dinner for $125 per person for non-James Beard Foundation members and $100 per person for James Beard members. The exclusive team assembled includes Chef Ted Peters and Pastry Chef Nancy Slatsky of Azurea, Chef Tom Gray of Bistro Aix, Chef Matthew Medure of Matthew’s and Chef Brian Siebenschuh of Orsay. All wine pairings for the spring season courses are from the Foley Family Wineries.

Proceeds from the dinner will be divided equally between a local culinary scholarship in the name of Azurea Restaurant, the James Beard Foundation’s scholarship program and general operating fund (which enables the foundation to maintain the historic James Beard House as a performance space for chefs and to administer educational programs).

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) is a not-for-profit culinary organization and its mission is to celebrate, preserve and nurture America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. The JBF’s programs include workshops, classes, conferences, readings, and other educational experiences that help people learn about and engage with food. JBF offers scholarships to culinary students who need financial support to pursue careers in the food and beverage industry. JBF invites chefs to participate in events at the James Beard House in New York City and at events abroad to allow people to experience America’s dynamic cuisine first hand. JBF also administers the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, which recognize and honor excellence among chefs, cookbook authors, food journalists, restaurant designers, and others working the food and beverage industry.

The benefit dinner is hosted at Azurea, the signature restaurant of One Ocean Resort, which has established its own food and wine personality, creating a culture of passion and seeking perfection. True to its coastal surroundings, providing an elegant, artfully inspired atmosphere, Azurea offers a view of the ocean from any seat in the house while recently honored with an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator.

To join the Friends of James Beard Foundation Benefit Dinner at One Ocean Resort, call Jennifer Aringdale 904-853-2346.