Tuna and Bean Salad

Colby and I just started back up with a CSA.  This time we chose Johnson's Backyard Garden.  We decided to go with them because it allowed us to have a bit more control over the vegetables we get (no more yucky eggplant!) and, more importantly, everything is organic.  I know that there's been a study indicating that organic produce is not more nutritious than conventionally grown produce, but that's not really the point.  Ramona has started eating solid foods and everything she's had has been organic thus far and we plan on keeping that true for as long as possible.  In a lot of ways, she's been the impetus for getting the CSA.  Now we have fresh-seasonal-organic-sustainable-local vegetables to give her year round and we can also start to clean up our meals, so to speak, in order to set a good example for her.

Today we got our first share and the first order of business was to make dinner.  We roasted the okra that we got with some spices and olive oil and it was amazing.  When you're eating crazy fresh food, it doesn't really need much to be fantastic.  We also had a highly adapted Tuscan bean and tuna salad with some JBG arugula.  In addition to trying to clean up our eating, we also need fast meals and nothing is faster than this salad.

seasoned, roasted okra

Bean and tuna salad

2 cans tuna in olive oil, drain one can and save the oil and use the oil from the other can with the tuna
2 cans cannellini (or other white) beans, drained
juice of one lemon (zest too, if you're not in a hurry)
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely minced
2 T fresh dill, chopped
salt + pepper to taste

Okay, this is going to be the most complicated recipe ever:

mix everything together
season to taste

My favorite thing to do with the oil is to brush it on bread and toast it in the oven.  If I'm feeling particularly lazy, I just brush the oil on toast.  Either way, eating this with a slice of really tasty bread is highly advised.  I've also used that oil to make a vinaigrette (combine oil with some lemon juice, dill, salt, pepper, and dijon mustard in a jar; shake) to go over greens to eat with the salad.  This time I added a handful of arugula from the share in my bowl (Colby abstained) and it was GOOD.  But I think that arugula is the most delicious stuff ever, so that is something easily omitted if you don't love your taste buds.

too late

Sometimes I take food pictures and write about them a long time after the meal.  Usually this isn't too big of a deal, but in this case, I waited too long.  This was taken in February.  It was some sort of mushroom tart from Bistrot Mirabelle, a French bistro restaurant in the Far West area.  It closed in June and was slated to reopen as some sort of American-style concept restaurant last week.  I don't know if it ever did or not.  It was a good meal and I hope that they do reopen.  Meanwhile, I'm still here, trying to make sure that Ramona doesn't get into too much trouble.

You can totally see the mischief in her eyes.