Tuna Nicoise Grain Bowl

This hearty healthy recipe for a tuna nicoise grain bowl pairs the classic salad with farro for the perfect easy lunch.

Hi my friends! By the time you read this, there will be two exciting things going on around here.

First of all, we will be exactly one week from Phase One of our move into the Carolina Dream House, wherein the furniture that has been waiting patiently in storage in New Jersey since June arrives!

I’m kinda certain it will be a mixture of Moving Day Madness and Christmas morning, as I am reunited with so many of my things that I have missed (I’m looking at you, Parmesan cheese grater!).

The second exciting thing that will be going on is that the we and the kids are going on a long Labor Day weekend getaway to the Smoky Mountains, and we are driving there as we speak.

I know, interesting timing, but we wanted to get a little R&R time in before the unpacking started, and during these crazy times we wanted to find somewhere that was in driving distance, and where we could have a place all to ourselves for a few days to be as safe and sound as possible.

And here’s where we are headed!

It’s called the Tipsy Bear Cabin, and it is nestled up on a mountain with these amazing views…

It is WAY more space than we need, but there is a hot tub and an incredible kitchen and since this is probably our one and only vacation for who knows how long, we figured what the heck?

I’m planning on spending quality time in the hot tub, the kitchen and one of those chairs, and sleeping late and getting all rested up for the week ahead.

Meantime, I’m making a long list of contenders for some of the first meals I’m going to cook up in the Dream House Casita kitchen, and this scrumptious, healthy tuna Nicoise Grain bowl is definitely on that list.

I do love a good Nicoise salad, which is basically a combo of tuna and green beans and baby potatoes and hardboiled eggs, and I’ve messed with the classic before by adding pasta.

But farro is one of my all time favorite grains, and so I figured it would be a great spin on this fave.

Here’s how you make a tuna Nicoise grain bowl!

Start by cooking up some farro according to the package directions (and if you can’t find farro, barley or brown rice will work just fine!).

Now cook up some baby potatoes and green beans until they are tender, and cut the potatoes up into halves or quarters. We are going for bite-sized!

Now the easy dressing. Pour some olive oil, lemon juice, a chopped shallot, a little dried thyme and some mustard in a small jar and shake shake shake.

Time to mix it up! Put the cooked farro, some cherry tomatoes, a little fresh chopped parsley, the potatoes and the green beans in a large bowl, drizzle with half the dressing and toss it all up.

Give it a taste and drizzle on more dressing until it is just the way you like it.

Last but not least, divide the farro mixture among plates, top with some jarred tuna and a hardboiled egg quarter, scatter some capers on top, drizzle with a little more dressing and serve it up!

And send good getting-ready-to-move-in thoughts my way, okay? I can’t believe it is almost time!

With love from all different parts of beautiful North Carolina,

Kate xo

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