Simply Delicious Recipe: Nicoise platter for 4

Looking to make entertaining easier this weekend? Then follow along as professional home economist and cookbook author Mairlyn Smith creates a beautiful and tasty Nicoise salad platter for four.

1 head red-tipped Bibb, Boston lettuce or red leaf lettuce

12 mini potatoes, cooked, chilled, cut in half

1/2 pound cooked chilled asparagus or green beans

4 large omega-3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in half

2 – 80 g cans solid light tuna packed in oil or water, well-drained

1 cup grape tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

8 Kalamata olives, pitted

8 caperberries (optional)

170 mL marinated artichoke hearts, approx. 2/3 cup, drained

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp grainy Dijon

2 tsp pure amber maple syrup

1. Arrange lettuce leaves so they cover the entire bottom of a large platter.
2. Pile potatoes in the centre. Arrange asparagus on the side. Add eggs at one end. Place tuna beside the eggs. Place tomatoes beside the tuna. Arrange cucumber slices beside the potatoes. Tuck in olives beside eggs. Arrange artichoke hearts on the other side of the eggs. Tuck in red onion under tuna. Place caperberries in between cucumbers and artichokes.
3. Make the salad dressing: place lemon juice, oil, Dijon and maple syrup in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well or whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing equally over the salad ingredients and place on the table. You’ll need a large spoon and fork and let everyone serve themselves.

Serves 4