Heirloom Tomato Salad

There’s nothing like a fresh tomato and this time of year they’re in abundance. This year I grew a variety of tomatoes. In addition to Roma and Jet Star I grew a few heirloom varieties – Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra and Brandywine.

To me the secret to making a fresh tomato salad is to 1) use a variety of tomatoes and 2) salt and pepper the tomatoes  for a good 10-15 minutes before putting the salad together.

The other elements of the salad are cheese, fresh herbs and the vinaigrette of your choice. Here’s the basic recipe – feel free to adapt based on what’s in your fridge.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

2 – 3 pounds fresh tomatoes

8 – 12 ounces cheese (fresh mozzarella, feta – even a mound of ricotta would be nice)

Olive oil

Vinegar (balsamic or red wine)

A little heat (red pepper flakes, jalapeno – whatever you like)

Garlic

Fresh herbs (oregano, basil, chives)

To make the salad interesting, cut the smaller tomatoes into quarters and slice the larger tomatoes. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In the meantime, combine one part vinegar with three parts olive oil (for example – 1/4 cup vinegar to 3/4 olive oil), minced garlic, and some heat. I have lots of jalapenos so I cut one up and add it to the dressing.

To serve, spoon the tomatoes onto a platter, add cheese, drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the herb of your choice (my preference is fresh oregano).

Tagged as: Simple Food