Week 2: An O'Hare-Inspired Niçoise Salad

I have spent a fair amount of time in airports and eaten my fair share of awful airport food. Unrecognizable "Chinese" (CLE). Dried out, bland Tex-Mex (LAX). Greasy fried chicken (ATL). Stale, soggy cheese sandwiches (CDG and LHR). Overpriced fast food (EVERYWHERE!!). But I've also eaten some really good meals, like yummy seafood (MHT), passable udon not to mention sourdough bread (SFO), and surprisingly good beef curry (NRT) - although this is not something I recommend eating just before strapping yourself into a a metal box for 12 hours with 200 other people.

One of my airport favorites is Saladworks in Terminal 1 at O'Hare Airport in Chicago (ORD). I realize they are a chain and I'm sure you're thinking that there can't be anything all that special about a salad bar chain restaurant in an airport. But when you've been sitting in a cramped plane for hours eating nothing but pretzels and drinking soda, a counter laden with fresh veggies and a variety of other salad options, not to mention a fantastic balsamic vinaigrette, is a welcome sight.

I always get their Niçoise Salad - iceberg lettuce, black olives, canned tuna, tomatoes, chopped egg. I'm sure the people of Niçe would be utterly dismayed at how Saladworks has compromised their namesake, but again, it is less about the quality of the food and more about the circumstances.

I haven't been on an airplane in over a year and am feeling nostalgic for the days when I used to travel at least once a month. For lunch today I decided to make a Niçoise Salad as a way to placate my wanderlust. I went online to find out what is traditionally in this salad and came across such interesting components as green beans, anchovies and boiled fingerling potatoes. In the end, I settled on the following:

• A mixture of iceberg and red leaf lettuce
• Slivered red onions
• Chopped, hard boiled egg
• Tuna (Packed in water, in a pouch instead of a can)
• Lightly steamed green beans
• Chopped tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Hass Avocado
• A few Anchovy fillets, packed in oil
• A generous sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper
• A dressing made from a 3:1 ratio of olive oil and lime juice

The Results

The salad was light yet filling; perfect as a light lunch. The Geek declared it to be  the perfect combination of flavors.

Ratings

• Difficulty: Easy
• Time to prepare:  20 minutes to chop everything and steam the green beans
• Prognosis:  Will definitely be making this again and again!