Tuna and beans

Eastside Road, August 14, 2013—

CERTAINLY ONE OF the inspired combinations, one of the Hundred Plates, the Italian salad of tuna, cannellini, and onions. Tonight Lindsey looked to see if Cesare Casella, the gifted chef we met at his Vipore restaurant outside Lucca many years ago (and who has since gone on to big things in New York, where his restaurants have included Coco Pazzo, Beppe, and Maremma) had a recipe in his book Diary of a Tuscan Chef.

He did, and his recipe suggested adding tomato to the mix — one step to many, it seems to me. I had already requested a bit of chopped celery in it; for some reason I've been craving celery for weeks now. Lindsey also flavored the salad with marjoram, not the sage I prefer: I'll have to make my own version next week.

With the tuna salad, a slice of ciabatta from Petaluma's Della Fattoria, lightly toasted and drizzled with olive oil; afterward, green salad; and then melon and some Seckel pears from our tree. A fine summer supper!

Rosé, La Ferme Julien, 2012