Do you ever imagine yourself as a character in a film or TV show? This year I’ve been in a cheesy box set, having a dreamy, scorching summer which I desperately don’t want to end. On the other hand, I’m mopey and creatively stuck. It might sound silly - childish, even - but imagining oneself as a character is a solid coping mechanism. It helps to gain perspective on a chapter in your life and see it for what it is - transient. It’s not something to be endured, but to fully experience and reflect upon. I’ve been mulling this over, I think, because the changing of the seasons always feels like an introspective time. I’ve just been sitting in a favourite spot in the park, overlooking people in groups down below, eating this salad I made earlier. It’s emerged as my go-to location for taking stock, not least because there’s often an angry gaggle of geese wandering through, hissing at passersby who get too close. It’s extremely entertaining. The geese flanked me on one side, while a group of Russian women smoking weed chatted incessantly on the other. For some reason, I found this relaxing.
Please join me in channelling zen, by which I mean don’t be offended by this week’s mashup of two classic salads (you’ll have heard about cacio e pepe gate); I am not here to offend either the French (niçoise) or Italians (panzanella) but only to share a recipe that has brought me joy and may therefore do the same for you. I promise you, the salad slaps. I’ve combined the best fishy bits (good-quality tinned tuna and anchovies) with the ripest summer tomatoes and fennel-roasted peppers (this week’s nugget), plus the signature rustic croutons of the panz, perfect for sopping up a bolshy shallot dressing. The eggs give it some structure, by which I mean they fill you up. If you’re making it ahead, for the next day, say (it will keep very well), then do your eggs separately and chill them unpeeled before adding to the salad later. I was forced to leave my grassy outpost as rain clouds gathered and the geese seemed to sense something was up. The end of summer, perhaps? The following day delivered full sun, and I basked in a mate’s garden like a lizard, absorbing every last ray.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Supersize Me! Panzanella x Niçoise
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