Some chefs in the area are horrified by the addition of potatoes and only grudgingly permit green beans. Only olive oil can be poured on as the dressing. In season, cooks throw in a few other local raw vegetables in modest amounts - tender artichokes, sweet peppers, celery or uncooked fava beans in their pods. In its regional context, the recipe certainly makes sense. Most chefs in the area allow tuna, which they admit even Grandma would add to her heirloom recipe when she could get some.
Haricots verts, the super-slim French green beans, are okay with many, too.
Chefs of the province's fancy eateries also try to be true to the original, embellishing it with a light hand. Even a superstar like Alain Ducasse is careful not to tamper with tradition. He adds both raw and fried artichokes and replaces the mundane hard-boiled chicken eggs with quail eggs. With the American fondness for Mediterranean cooking, chefs have adopted this salad from the Riviera with gusto. Many follow the Parisian version fairly closely, although they might bake their potatoes and add roasted peppers.