Tuna and Green Bean Salad

It was a beautiful day, capped off with an afternoon kayak on Silver Lake. We saw great blue herons and osprey; one osprey even swooped down right over us. And, my son learned how to paddle, he did great, even matched his paddling pace to mine!

When you are out in the sun all afternoon, you don’t want a hot dinner, so it was the perfect night for a tuna and green bean salad.

It was bright from the lemon juice, basil and parsley. Bit also hearty, with the potatoes and green beans. We were hungry and this, somewhat to our surprise, really hit the spot.

Tuna and Green Bean Salad

from Giada De Laurentiis

1 1/2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise (from the garden)

3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

2 large red potatoes, diced

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano (from the garden)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (from the garden)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (from the garden)

9 ounces canned tuna packed in oil, drained

DIRECTIONS

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using a mesh strainer, transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the green beans and pat dry with a towel.

Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the same cooking liquid and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the potatoes to the simmering liquid and cook until they are just tender but still hold their shape, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the ice water to cool completely. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a towel.