Gorgeous Summer Salad...

I am refusing to believe that summer has officially ended, and have decided instead to go by the astronomical definition of summer, which says that summer comes to a close on September 21st... Now that I've just gained myself extra 3 weeks of summer, I'll put my big straw hat and white linen pants back on, and plan another stint of rest and relaxation.

Yeah-- that's not going to happen...

I'm spending most of my days hiking around Williamsburg with Julian strapped to my front, and if I'm not doing that, I'm trying to grab a couple of minutes of sleep to make up for the many lost hours I've been donating to Julian's cause... : ) Not exactly restful, but Mummy's been whipping up one great meal after another, which has made things a bit more relaxed.

Most recently, we took this recipe for a spin, and I was a major fan! Mummy found the recipe in a cookbook I had hiding on our bookshelf: "Tossed" by Jane Lawton. I have to confess, I haven't used it many times, so I can't swear by the book, but the recipe we tried was a total hit and that's a solid first review...

Cannellini Bean Salad with Fennel & Tuna:

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. dried cannellini beans
1 large garlic clove
2 c. green beans
2 fresh bay leaves
1 baby fennel bulb thinly sliced
1/4-1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 handful of parsley leaves, chopped
1 T. olive oil
10 oz. fresh tuna steak 

*We happen to love this fancy pants tuna we buy at our local grocer. It is more expensive than regular canned tuna, but 10 X more delicious, and considerably cheaper than fresh tuna steak, and half the work to prepare. Can't say enough about Tonnino tuna! 

Lemon & Chili Dressing Ingredients:

3 T. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 t. sugar
1 T. lemon zest
4 T. olive oil 

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Put the cannellini beans in a bowl, cover w/ cold water, and soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Rinse the beans well and put them in a large pot. Cover with plenty of cold water, add the bay leaves and garlic, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Drain. (Alternatively, you can use a 15 oz. can of cannellini beans instead of dried beans. Leave out the first step and just rinse/drain the can of beans before adding them to the salad.) 

2.) Bring another pot of water to a boil and add the green beans. Blanch until just tender, approx. 2-3 minutes. Drain and then rinse under cold water. Gently toss in a serving bowl with the fennel, red onion, and parsley. 

2.) Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan and cook the tuna steaks over high heat for 2 minutes on each side-- they should still be pink in the center. Remove from the pan and let sit for 2-3 minutes. (If you're using the tonnino tuna, you can skip this step too...)

3.) Whisk together the lemon-chili dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Season w/ salt & pepper. 

4.) Cut the tuna steaks into 1 1/4" chunks, and then add the cannellini beans and tuna to the green bean mixture, pour the dressing over the mixture, and then gently toss to combine. 

Serves 4