Flavors come together with this Summer salad from Canal House Cooks Every Day by Christopher Hirsheimer, and Melissa Hamilton (Andrews McMeel, October 2012) 

Composed Summer Salad with Lemony AÏoli

Serves 4–6

This is the kind of salad that comes together very quickly when you have the vegetables done and
ready to go (we often have them cooked and on hand, exactly for this purpose).

We keep a small tub of the aïoli in our fridge as well, but for an acceptable substitute, you could doctor store-bought mayonnaise with some finely minced garlic, lots of fresh lemon juice, and some salt and pepper.

For the lemony aïoli

2 large egg yolks
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup canola oil
½ cup good smooth “buttery” olive oil

For the salad

4–6 peeled roasted baby beets, quartered
8–10 ounces cooked string beans
4–8 small peeled boiled potatoes
4–6 hard-boiled eggs, halved
Really good extra-virgin olive oil
Plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

For the lemony aïoli, whisk together the egg yolks, garlic, a pinch of salt, and one-quarter of the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Combine both the oils in a measuring cup with a spout.

Whisking constantly, add the oil to the yolks, about 1 teaspoon at a time. The sauce will thicken and emulsify. After you’ve added about 1/4 cup of the oil, you can begin to slowly drizzle in the remaining oil as you continue to whisk, until you have a thick, glossy aïoli. Season with salt. Thin the aïoli with a little water and more lemon juice to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the salad, arrange the beets, string beans, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs on a nice big serving
platter. Drizzle everything with some olive oil and sprinkle with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with some nasturtium blossoms, if you like. Serve with the aïoli.

(* Reproduced with permission from Canal House Cooks Every Day by Christopher Hirsheimer, and Melissa Hamilton, Andrews McMeel, October 2012)