1 ½ pounds of salted cod fish, soaked overnight and then boiled the next day for 15 min.-saltiness according to taste.

1 avocado, peeled, roughly chopped

3 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, roughly chopped

1 medium Spanish (white ) onion peeled and sliced thin

1 large tomato sliced

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3  cup white vinegar

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In small bowl mix olive oil, vinegar,  salt and pepper.

Combine with fish and onions with the olive oil mixture and let sit in the refrigerator while assembling the other ingredients.

Cut up egg, tomatoes, avocado.  In the photo I roughly mashed the avocado just for the mold I was making it in.

Place fish on a plate and place the topping nicely on the salad.

Taste and re season if necessary.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

A note about the salted codfish.  As I said in my last post this can be purchased at Santa Barbara on Commercial.  I am sure there are other places as well, let me know if you find some.  Remember the bacalau (salted codfish) needs to be bone out.  You don’t want to make the mistake I did…they have a lot of bones!!

Obviously, the fish is very salty which is why it needs to be soaked over night, or for 4-6 hours.  You then boil it for 15 min.  If it is still too salty, then boil it again.  It should be tender and you should be able to shred it.  I like it more on the salty side.

I layered my salad in my fancy new mold I bought to give it a fancier look.  Traditionally, it is just layered on a plate.

Italian Potato and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

• New potatoes boiled whole and chopped in half later.  Do not over cook them or they will be mushy.  You can even make them  ahead of time and refrigerate them until you are ready to use them.
• Green Beans blanched; again you want them al dente.  So boil for about 6-7 min then put them immediately in ice water or really cold water to stop them from cooking.  You can cook these ahead of time as well and just leave them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
• Chopped green onion
• Olive oil-use a really nice one.  I have one olive oil for cooking and then a very good quality extra virgin olive oil for salads and for drizzling over dishes.
• Balsamic Vinegar, again use an excellent quality for the best flavor.  Go to an Italian store and pick some up.  Ask for advice from someone.
• Sea salt-to taste, my friend uses Himalayan pink sea salt, kind of fun eh?
• Pepper-to taste, freshly ground
• Dried oregano, she uses her Moms dried oregano from her garden.  I have tons of fresh oregano that I am going to dry for the winter.

Directions:

Combine green beans and potatoes.

Drizzle with olive oil until everything is lightly covered.  Add sea salt

Mix all together again and add balsamic vinegar, again drizzle it and taste it.  This should be to your liking.  Add oregano and pepper.  Keep tasting it until you season it to your satisfaction.  Remember you are the chef, you know what tastes good.  Put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.  Enjoy this fresh, light salad!