Baby Vegetable Nicoise Salad

Heat 2 small or medium pots of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Finely chop the tarragon leaves. Peel and mince the garlic until it resembles a paste. Peel and thinly slice the shallot, then place it in a bowl of cold water. Pull apart the romaine lettuce leaves. Cut the potatoes in half. Trim the stems off the haricots verts.

Trim off about 1 inch from the pointed tops of the artichokes. Trim off the very ends of the stems. Peel off the tough outer leaves until you reach the tender middle leaves. With a paring knife, peel the outsides of the remaining stems. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. Add them to a bowl of cold water with the juice of half the lemon.

Add the potatoes to one pot of boiling water and the beets to the other. Cook the beets 23 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Cook the potatoes 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked potatoes to a bowl (leaving the water in the pot) and rinse them under cold water. Add the artichokes to the boiling water used for the potatoes, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender, then transfer those to a small bowl. Add the haricots verts to the same water and cook 1 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender-crisp.

Once the beets are cooked, place them in a bowl of cold water. Use your fingers or a paring knife to peel off their skins. Cut the cooked, peeled beets in half lengthwise.

While the vegetables boil, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and the juice of the other lemon half in a small bowl. Whisk in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the shallots from the water. Divide the romaine leaves between 2 plates. Place the potatoes, haricots verts, olives (careful, they have pits!), beets, shallots, and artichokes on the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle the tarragon over everything and then drizzle the salad with some of the dressing. Enjoy!