“I have to quit these peas.  Peas are no good for me, I better try corn or beans.”  -Stephen King, American master of horror, fantasy, and suspenseful writing, in his best-selling 1994 novel Insomnia

It’s that time of year again.  Planet Earth has successfully completed another revolution around the sun, and many of Planet Earth’s human inhabitants have successfully completed another list of resolutions for the next go-round.  This year, I committed my completed list to paper (a simple attempt at accountability), and I’m still riding high on the light air that comes with a clean slate and a new beginning.

It’s also the time of year that beautiful citrus fruit begins to make its way to the market.  How lovely that all of this “new beginning” stuff just happens to come with such a fresh and sunny flavor soundtrack.  Lemons, limes, grapefruits, clementines, tangerines:  all of these are invigorating, bright, and suggestive of the warmer months to come, and there’s just no better time for them to show up at their peak.  This particular recipe highlights the Meyer lemon, a previously “fringe” citrus fruit that resides at the flavor crossroads of an orange and a lemon.   This year, however, they seem to be enjoying the spotlight, as they’re appearing at virtually every single fruit stand in town right now.  A supply like that can only follow strong demand, and rightfully so.  They are wonderful.

I didn’t make this salad just for the Meyer lemons, though.  I made it because it seemed to encompass so many of the things I want this year to be about:  using up what I have (I found most of the ingredients were already in my cupboard or refrigerator), scaling back and simplicity (it’s ok to enjoy a delicious meal that I did not slave over for hours), and injecting creative nuance into daily life (just a few of my own tweaks to change up the classic Tuscan White Bean & Tuna Salad repertoire).  It also happens to light, healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free for all of those, you know, other resolutions.

Happy new year readers!

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, canning liquid drained away and beans very well rinsed under cold water (NOTE:  Any canned white bean will do here.)

Roughly 5 ounces (drained weight) high-quality canned or jarred albacore tuna packed in olive oil (NOTE:  I used Ortiz brand Bonito del Norte, which is my absolute favorite of all canned tunas.)

1/2 of a small red onion, washed, peeled, and sliced into very thin half moons

Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon (NOTE:  You could substitute a small regular lemon here if you want a more acidic, tart dressing.)

Good-quality extra virgin olive oil

Handful of grape tomatoes, washed, dried, and halved lengthwise

Scant tbsp. of small nonpareil capers, drained

Handful of fresh parsley leaves, washed, dried well, and chopped fine

Small handful of fresh basil leaves, washed, dried well, and cut en chiffonade

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.  Place drained and rinsed beans in a large stainless steel, glass, or plastic mixing bowl.  Flake apart the drained tuna with a fork and add to the bowl.  Add the sliced red onion, the lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and toss gently with a spoon to combine evenly.  Let stand to marinate at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes.

2.  Just before serving, add the halved grape tomatoes, capers, and the fresh herbs.  Gently toss together to combine evenly.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, gently toss one more time, taste, adjust if necessary, and serve at room temperature.

Yield:  A fresh, light lunch for two.