Wow, doesn't that look good? Sometimes I manage to retain my knowledge, and I started most of this Nicoise Salad before Callum and I headed to the beach for a few hours yesterday. Neel grilled(!) the tuna the night before and yesterday morning I blanched the green beans and boiled the eggs and potatoes. The basics of the recipe are from Ina, of course. Despite owning a wealth of cookbooks with the word "summer" in the title, she still tends to be my go-to during the warm weather months. Although I'd love a copy of this. And my purchase of this one is long overdue too. The dressing for the potatoes is what really gives this salad its flavor. After you boil them, you steam them in the colander for about ten minutes by wrapping a towel over top and then soak them in a few tablespoons of white wine and chicken stock. After that it's honey dijon mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Couldn't be easier.

And despite the fact that it's been leaking all over my counter lately, I love my egg cooker. Love, love LOVE it. I'm telling you, perfectly cooked eggs EVERY TIME. Every time. Not kidding. I first had eggs cooked in one of these at my friend Lisa's beach house and promptly went out and bought one. (The latest fun gadget I was introduced to at the beach house was this darling thing. Yeah, there's no way I can justify that, but there you are. I still want it. Perfectly formed, cocktail sized ice cubes, you guessed it, EVERY TIME.) We don't eat a ton of eggs, but out on the counter it sits, ready to go at a moment's notice. Those eggs in that salad were so good...

Ummmm, doesn't that look tasty? Sometimes I surprise myself, even.

Callum's still sleeping and Neel's getting ready to go golfing, of all things. I'm looking forward to a day couched in all of the comforting prose of a Rosamund Pilcher novel: "She had several errands to run, including picking up some new paint for the dining room, and the prospect of this filled her with much satisfaction."