Recipe: Tuna Salad w/ Grilled Zucchini

This is a salad I make that was inspired by one that I had in Spain. Get a nice bunch of mixed greens, whatever you like. (A few of my favorites are curly endive, escarole, and lacinato kale.) Grill up some zucchini strips. Pick up an assortment of Spanish olives, some piquillo peppers (in jars at most grocery stores), and the best canned tuna you can find -- I buy Wild Planet Albacore. It is a tuna steak and comes in its own juices in a BPA-free can. It is really good stuff and definitely worth the upgrade from your "Sorry Charlie". Mix the greens with some phenomenal olive oil, dried oregano, and the acidic flavor of your choice. This one I used a white wine vinegar, but you could also use red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Add to the green the sliced piquillo peppers, olives, grilled zucchini, and tuna. Then drizzle it with a bit more olive oil, ground pepper, and I top it with a cherry pepper.

In Spain, I feasted on a similar salad with a nice glass of white wine, but here in the Northwest I'm more likely to kick it back with a tasty brew. Every time I make this, I am transported back to a bar in San Sebastian where pigs hung from the rafters and the only escape from the summer heat was a cold glass of wine and a cool tuna salad. Buen Provecho!