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Heirloom Tomato Salad

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This blissfully simple salad allows the star ingredient, heirloom tomatoes, to shine through. There are only a few straightforward ingredients that all work together to enhance the flavor of these fresh beautiful gems of summer. This salad stands on its own, or is a great compliment to any simple grilled protein. It also pairs well with pasta dishes, like my Mussels and Clams with Spaghetti in a Meyer Lemon White Wine Sauce for a complete meal. For a great vegan meal it pairs well with my Tabbouleh with Quinoa and my Fresh & Quick Hummus.

  • Author: Chimp Media
  • Yield: 4 people 1x
  • Category: Salad, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 heirloom tomatoes (one large, one medium & one small in 3 different colors)
  • 2 t Capers (drained)
  • 2–3 large basil leaves (thinly sliced in chiffonade)
  • 2 t Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 t aged balsamic vinegar (preferably aged about 18 years)
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Using an appropriately sharp slicing knife or a serrated tomato knife, slice the tomatoes in approximately 1/4 inch slices.
  2. On a large round serving dish, arrange the tomatoes by shingling the large tomato around the outer edge of the dish.
  3. Next, arrange the slices of the medium size tomato, shingling them so they slightly over lap the slices of the large tomato moving toward the center of the dish.
  4. Then arrange the slices of the smallest tomato, shingling them until the center of the dish is completely covered with tomato slices.
  5. Sprinkle the capers over the top of the tomatoes, drizzle the balsamic and the olive oil over the top, grind the pepper over the dish and sprinkle the thinly sliced basil leaves over the top of the tomatoes on the dish.
  6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Here are some helpful hints regarding choosing, storing and serving tomatoes, heirloom or regular garden tomatoes: First of all, what is an heirloom tomato? Heirloom tomatoes come in all manner of beautiful colors, shapes and sizes. They can very in color from red to pink to purple. Some are orange, yellow, green and many have spots or flecks of other colors on them. The larger ones are often almost saddle shaped with many ridges and beautiful curves, while the smaller ones are usually more round.

The thing that makes heirloom tomatoes so special is that they are grown from seeds that have been neither mass produced nor hybridized. They are full of flavor and rather delicate. They bruise easily, so they are best purchased from your nearest farmer’s market or specialty grocery, so they have not had to travel a great distance from where they are grown. The fact that they vary so much in size, shape and color is another lovely quality that appeals to tomato lovers, however this lack of uniformity is unappealing to large scale commercial growers. This is why, often times, tomatoes in your major grocery chain may look great but not taste so amazing. Large scale growing operations often grow varieties of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables that have been hybridized to produce a product that is uniform in color, texture and size, but may suffer in the flavor category. During the summer months, you will find the best tasting tomatoes at your local farmer’s market (if you are not growing them in your own garden).

Heirloom or not, you want to choose tomatoes that are unbruised, firm but not hard and without cracks in the flesh. Tomatoes are best stored at room temperature. Please never store your tomatoes in the refrigerator. You will find your tomatoes taste the best when they are stored at room temperature. This is true for any variety of tomato from the smallest grape and cherry tomatoes to the largest heirloom.

If for any reason your lovely tomatoes get bruised or a little over ripe, do not throw them out. These tomatoes can be chopped and pureed in your blender, then strained and seasoned to make a lovely liquid called tomato water. You can use tomato water in salad dressings or as a beautiful simple sauce for fish, pasta, quinoa, rice etc. It can also be frozen into ice cube trays and tossed into soups and sauces to boost the tomato flavor. Also, tomato water ice cubes make a great addition to your next bloody mary!

More Tips

 Heirloom Tomato Salad – This blissfully simple salad allows the star ingredient, heirloom tomatoes, to shine through. There are only a few straightforward ingredients that all work together to enhance the flavor of these fresh beautiful gems of summer. This salad stands on its own, or is a great compliment to any simple grilled protein. It also pairs well with pasta dishes, like my Mussels and Clams with Spaghetti in a Meyer Lemon White Wine Sauce for a complete meal. For a great vegan meal it pairs well with my Tabbouleh with Quinoa and my Fresh & Quick Hummus. – heirloom tomatoes (one large, one medium & one small in 3 different colors), Capers (drained), basil leaves (thinly sliced in chiffonade), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, aged balsamic vinegar (preferably aged about 18 years), Freshly ground black pepper (to taste), , Using an appropriately sharp slicing knife or a serrated tomato knife, slice the tomatoes in approximately 1/4 inch slices.; On a large round serving dish, arrange the tomatoes by shingling the large tomato around the outer edge of the dish.; Next, arrange the slices of the medium size tomato, shingling them so they slightly over lap the slices of the large tomato moving toward the center of the dish.; Then arrange the slices of the smallest tomato, shingling them until the center of the dish is completely covered with tomato slices.; Sprinkle the capers over the top of the tomatoes, drizzle the balsamic and the olive oil over the top, grind the pepper over the dish and sprinkle the thinly sliced basil leaves over the top of the tomatoes on the dish.; Serve immediately and enjoy!; ; – – Salad – Side Dish – American – Italian – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Low Carb – Vegan – Vegetarian