Things have been crazy for the past couple weeks. All work all the time, even on our birthdays. Especially on our birthdays, actually. I'm finishing my first product for my own company, which--well--it's a little surreal. I don't know how to describe it. And I still have a lot more to do before launch.

I'm exhausted. Here, have a salad.

Minimal Salade Niçoise

butter lettuce
boiling potatoes
eggs
green beans
vinaigrette of your choice

Make as much of each ingredient as you like. I used three potatoes, four medium eggs, and two big handfuls of green beans for two people, and that was a bit too much.

Put a pot of salted water on to boil while you scrub your potatoes and remove eyes. Chop the potatoes into reasonable bite-sized chunks. When your water boils, add the potatoes. Bring the water up to boiling again, reduce to a fast simmer, and let cook until tender. This should take maybe 30 minutes for small chunks of potato. You can do everything else while the potatoes are cooking.

Put your eggs in the pot with the potatoes and let them cook for 9 minutes before you pull them out. Give it a minute or two longer if your eggs are cold from the fridge. Put your finished eggs into an ice water bath and let them chill while the potatoes keep cooking.

Trim your green beans, chop them into bite-sized pieces, and put them in a steamer basket that fits over the potato pot. If you don't have one, that's ok--you can just quickly boil them in a separate pot. Steam or boil until done to your tastes. I put mine on for about four minutes. When done, take them off the heat. You can ice them if you want to, but I left mine hot.

Core your lettuce, wash it, dry it, and chop it into reasonable salad pieces.

When your eggs are cool enough to peel, go ahead and peel them. Chop them into halves or quarters.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well. Let them sit for a minute while you arrange your lettuce on plates. Top the lettuce with potatoes, beans, and eggs.

For vinaigrette, I smashed a clove of garlic and added it to a measuring cup with a splash of white wine vinegar, a big spoonful of seedy dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and some chopped parsley. Then I whisked in olive oil until it all emulsified into dressing. I didn't measure at all, so I have no measurements to give you. Use your favorite vinaigrette recipe, or just go get the Newman's Head out of the fridge.

Pour your vinaigrette over your salad, pick up your fork, and eat it all.

Sleep the sleep of the weary.

What do you make when you're too busy to cook?