Les salades niçoises

I have a new addiction. Luckily, this time it's not to crazy expensive (although delicious) chocolate, or to grey's anatomy (although I have discovered how to download this season on itunes...yay) - but actually to the iconic French salad: la salade niçoise.

Why iconic? It's available at just about every brasserie or bistro - and although it does vary in quality (sometimes it's pretty basic), it always involves the same deliciously filling and non-salad like ingredients that make it the perfect full meal (when accompanied with fresh baguette):
- potatoes
- green beans
- tuna (the best niçoise are with fresh tuna, all of the ones I've had and/or made in France are with canned tuna)
- hard boiled eggs
- tomatoes
- chives / parsley / cilantro
- super simple vinaigrette

I had a delicious one for lunch today at an adorable bistro near Place Vendome (le Castiglione - upstairs...it was packed and for good reason), which clearly prompted this post as i'm still thinking about how yummy it was, and Linds and I made one on friday night at home (picture below) where we discovered the secret to the best niçoise: Add some champagne to the dressing instead of white wine vinegar...exquisite!