Kill Two Birds and Eat Tuna Salad for Lunch

Every week we take a peek inside the lunches of the luckiest kids in Brooklyn. Read on, suppress your jealousy, and get a little brown bag inspiration.

This week: Amanda puts a spin on tuna salad by cleaning out her fridge. Two birds, one stone.

I like classic tuna salad—on toasted white bread, scooped onto a diner salad platter, or in a melt (preferably broiled in a toaster oven). But I'm equally fond of fiddling with the classic recipe.

Tuna can be brash and dominating—it craves assertive companions. I had a tangle of garlic scapes in the fridge looking for a purpose; and while garlic scapes are certainly mellower than garlic cloves, they hold their ground against tuna. We also had a bunch of basil, parsley, and thyme on the verge of wilting so I tossed them into a food processor with the scapes, gave them all a good whirl, and then blended in capers, a pinch of ground chile, and enough oil to soak the greens and make a paste. It was as fragrant as a freshly mown field. I folded the tuna (I poached mine, but jarred or canned is totally fine as long as you're happy with the brand) and pesto together, splashed in some lemon juice, and I had a salad and sandwich makings for several lunches. For this lunch, I packed the tuna salad with roasted zucchini and summer squash, avocado wedges, and country rye bread. Frog Hollow apricots for dessert. 

What are your clean-out-the-fridge successes? Share your secrets in the comments.