Colorful Tuna Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Cornichons

I’m busy procrastinating on what (I hope) will be the penultimate (or close to it) rewrite on my young adult novel so I need brain food, but have no time to cook. Opening a can of tuna is a cheat but lunch must be prepared and an old yellow tomato is going fast and needs a friend.

I love the way tuna and fresh tomatoes taste together. My Mom used to stuff tomatoes with tuna salad when we were kids. Now that tomato season is winding down, I’m always looking for ways to use up aging heirlooms that have ended up in the fridge before they burst. (I know! Tomatoes and the fridge don’t usually mix but heirlooms get messy.) When I’m tired of boiling elderly tomatoes into soups, delicious though that is, they can add moisture and richness to salads.

For color and flavor, I also added red cabbage, green onion, celery, romaine hearts, and chopped cornichons. I really wish I were a better photographer because this salad was so pretty! (And I have tried taking my photos outside. Sigh!)

The bread I chose to go along with it from Grindstone Bakery may be gluten-free. I’m not even going to touch on the GF thing here. Living where I do, if I grab a bread that appeals to me because it’s handmade, dark, and full of seeds, chances are it might also lack gluten. This is ground zero for hand hewn breads and a fair number of them have gone GF on me. I will say this one thing on the matter: If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where you can buy handmade bread that is allowed to rise by itself, science has shown that is better for you to avoid the additives that make commercial breads rise quickly. Also, real sourdough from bacteria is good for the gut. If you know how to make your own bread, I’m jealous! I had to buy mine from these people, who have this dubious logo on which I have absolutely no comment. The bread, however, is delicious, if you like nubbly bread.

Colorful Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

A can of tuna
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon plain yogurt (I use Green Valley Organics lactose-free)
2 green onions, chopped (I discard the limp green part at the end but you don’t have to)
The juice of one juicy lime or two tiny ones
A pinch of tumeric (it’s anti-inflammatory!)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed or fresh
1 or 2 teaspoons soy sauce (depending how salty you like it)
One large tomato, chopped (discard the seeds if you want — I never do)
1/8 cup chopped celery
1/8 cup chopped red cabbage
3 or 4 chopped cornichons or substitute a tablespoon of relish
1/2 cup chopped and washed hearts of romaine or other crunchy lettuce like iceberg
Drain tuna. Give your dog the empty can to lick (if you have opened it cleanly). Mix all ingredients well. Serve with a plank or two of hardcore brown bread.

Dog photobombed me while I was struggling to take this picture. OK, he was stalking my lunch.