Not Your Mother's Tuna Salad

When I was in the south of France this past summer (gosh, I hate how pretentious that sounds, but I think that "when I was on the Côte d'Azur" sounds even worse), I enjoyed many a fine meal chez Stéphanie. Her parents are fabulous cooks who use ingredients of exceptional quality--many of which come from their own kitchen garden. They even press their own olive oil, for crying out loud! Anyway, one day when Maman et Papou were not around, Stéphanie made brunch. While I was thoroughly impressed by all of Maman's creations, they were just a little too advanced for me to recreate with my novice skills. But Stéphanie's brunch was so easy that it almost doesn't count as a "recipe." Below is my version of it.

Ingredients

• 2 medium ripe yet firm tomatoes (plum, roma, or beefsteak if you can find a non-mealy beefsteak tomato that actually tastes like a tomato--good luck with that)
• 1 6.5 oz can unsalted tongol tuna in water (drained)
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped shallot (if you can't find shallots, sub a nice red onion)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• A few dollops (hate that word) of creamy goat cheese
  
• Fresh parsley or rosemary sprigs for garnish (you are eating raw shallot, so you might prefer the parsley to help freshen your breath--sorry, but that's the dancer in me talking)
  

Instructions

Cut tomatoes in half and remove and discard seeds. In a nonreactive (e.g. ceramic) bowl, stir drained tuna with a fork to break apart the chunks. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped shallot. Add balsamic vinegar and stir to coat tuna evenly and break apart any remaining chunks to achieve a smoother texture. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in extra virgin olive oil. Spoon mixture evenly into tomato halves. Garnish with goat cheese and fresh parsley or rosemary. Serve with pieces of a fresh baguette and a simple salad.

This is not your mother's tuna salad, is it?

Oh, and please indulge me for a moment, as I am on a one-woman mission to promote the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur) region of France to all the people who go to France only to stay in Paris. Here's a little video I shot from the Medieval village of Le Castellet, from which we had a lovely view. Ah, memories. . .