This is a heretical bastardization of salade niçoise and salade aux lardons, whole-grains style. I like the cracked green wheat called freekeh here because its faint grassy, oceanic aroma complements the tuna so well, but regular cracked wheat or, really, any other whole grain would work well too. Instead of bacon lardons (if I'm making a salad, it very often means I don't want to have to cook anything fresh), I use similar-size strips of sun-dried tomatoes, whose texture, when softened a bit in the dressing, at least vaguely recalls that of lardons.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　6 ounces (170 g) French green beans, trimmed

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

　　1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　6 tablespoons olive oil

　　6 sun-dried tomatoes

　　6 cups (240 g) pale yellow frisée or curly endive leaves, washed and spun dry

　　1/2 cup (40 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　1/2 cup (70 g) niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted

　　2 cups (360 g) cooked freekeh, cooled

　　2 (4.5-ounce / 130-g) cans tuna in olive oil, drained

　　4 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, and quartered

　　

Step 1

In a large saucepan of boiling water, blanch the green beans until just tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool, then drain and set aside in the refrigerator.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, then whisk in the oil until emulsified. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/8-inch-wide (3-mm-wide) strips and add to the dressing; if the tomatoes were not packed in oil, set them aside to soften in the dressing for at least 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Spread the frisée and parsley on a large serving platter. Make piles of the olives, freekeh, tuna, eggs, and beans; with a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes from the dressing to a pile in the frisée and drizzle everything with the dressing. Serve immediately.

　　Note:

　　To hard-cook and peel eggs, put them in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Place over high heat, cover the pan, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 8 minutes (for a creamy yolk) or 10 minutes (for a firm yolk). Drain, cover with cold water, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Tap the shell all over with the back of the spoon, then peel off the shell starting at the wider end. Dip back into the cool water to rinse them off, then use the eggs as desired.

　　From Whole Grains for a New Generation: Light Dishes, Hearty Meals, Sweet Treats, and Sundry Snacks for the Everyday Cook by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2012 Liana Krissoff; photographs copyright © 2012 Rinne Allen. Published in 2012 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of ABRAMS.