What a great salad this is!  I will be making it often this summer when the green beans from my garden are ready.  Be sure to use tuna that is canned in olive oil.  Also, the recipe calls for orzo, but I substituted Acini Di Pepe.  It's a tiny, tiny, tubular pasta.  If you can find it (I purchased the DaVinci brand), use it in this recipe.

                          TUNA, GREEN BEAN and POTATO SALAD
                      adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pounds thin green beans, halved
• 2 large Red Bliss potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup Acini Di Pepe, or orzo
• Two 4.5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1.  In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic and oregano.  Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
2.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until tender, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the beans to a colander.  Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the potatoes to the colander.  Add the Acini Di Pepe to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain well.
3.  Add the green beans, potatoes and pasta to the dressing and toss gently to coat.  Fold in the tuna, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

  We eat a lot of salmon at our house; both fresh and canned.  Any Alaskan canned salmon is wild-caught and full of Omega-3's, making this tart a healthy addition to any lunch, dinner or brunch menu.
  I have been adding cornmeal lately to the crusts of my savory tarts.  I love that grittiness you get with cornmeal!

                                     SAVORY SALMON TART
Crust Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 3-4 tablespoons ice water
Salmon Filling:
• 3  6-ounce cans Alaskan wild salmon, drained
• 3-4 green onions, finely sliced, white and some of the green included
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 organic eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• black Greek Kalamata olives (amount is up to you), sliced
• salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• chopped fresh chives, for garnish
1.  Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse briefly until combined.  Add the COLD butter and pulse until the size of small peas.  Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water while pulsing.  If the dough has not started coming together, add a little more water.  Put the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, press into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
2.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to fit into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Trim the edges and place in the freezer while mixing the salmon filling.
3.  Combine the salmon, green onions and cheddar cheese in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine the eggs and milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set both aside.
4.  Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line the tart shell with foil and fill with rice or beans.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and its contents and continue to bake the tart shell until golden and dry.  Take the shell from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375˚F.  Fill the shell with the salmon mixture; carefully add the egg mixture, and scatter the olives over the top.  Return the tart to the oven and bake approximately 20 - 25 minutes, or until the egg custard is set and the top of the tart is beginning to brown.
5.  Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle chopped chives on top.

What could be better than three Frenchies tearing around the house?  Possibly the Seared Halibut with White Beans and Basil Oil I made this past weekend.  We were joined by four friends (six, if you include French Bulldogs Tayto and Belle) Saturday night for dinner.  I spent the day making  Cream of Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons and a Pear Tart Tatine, in addition to the halibut.

The halibut recipe is from John Sarich, culinary director of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington.  The only change I made to this recipe was to substitute grape tomatoes, which I find much sweeter this time of year, for the Romas.  After cutting the tomatoes into a large dice, I let them drain in a colander to remove as much of the watery juices as possible.

               SEARED HALIBUT with WHITE BEANS and BASIL OIL
  John Sarich author of BEST OF TASTE: FLAVORS of the PACIFIC COAST

For the fish:
• 4  4-ounce halibut fillets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
1.  Mix the olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper and rub it over the fish.  In a hot sauté pan brown the fillets for about 2 minutes on one side.  Turn the fish over and lower the heat to simmer.  Add the wine and cover.  Cook until the fish flakes easily.  (NOTE:  I have never had success in browning the halibut, but I am always doubling the recipe and believe this overcrowding tends to steam the fish instead.  The results are still delicious!)

For the basil oil:
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
1.  Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Remove and strain through a sieve.  This can be done one day before.

For the beans:
• 2  10-ounce cans white navy beans, drained and rinsed well.
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Roma tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, chopped and well-drained)
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1/8 cup each, chopped Italian parsley and basil
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1.  Toss everything except the beans into a bowl and let marinate while you cook the fish.
2.  Put the tomato mixture in a saucepan over high heat and just bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add the beans.
3.  To serve, place a cup of the bean and tomato mixture in the center of a plate.  Place the fish on top and drizzle a little of the basil oil over the fish.
                                         Makes 4 servings                                                

         BARBECUED SALMON WITH MIXED GREENS AND TOMATO
                                         VINAIGRETTE
For Spice Mix:  2 Tablespoons chili powder
                        1 Tablespoon salt
                        1 Tablespoon sugar
                        1 Tablespoon onion powder
                        1 Tablespoon garlic powder
                        1 teaspoon ground cumin
                        1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Six 6-ounce pieces salmon fillet
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped vine-ripened tomato
1/2 pound mixed greens

Make Spice Mixture:  Stir together all spice mixture ingredients and reserve 1 1/2 teaspoon for vinaigrette.  Divide remaining spice mixture among salmon pieces, rubbing into fish and arrange fish in one layer in a shallow dish.  Chill fish, covered, 2 hours.

Prepare Grill.

In a bowl whisk together tomato juice, vinegar and reserved spice mixture and add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Grill fish until just cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side.

While fish is cooking, in a bowl toss tomato and greens with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly and divide among 6 plates.  Divide salmon pieces among plates and pour remaining vinaigrette over each serving.  Salmon above served with Melissa's Purple Potatoes.