Even as a child on the islands (I was told) I had an affection for tomatoes. While most of the stuff we get in the grocery stores today lack any sweetness or flavor, and even something as basic as the scent we associate with tomatoes, when I come across Heirloom tomatoes.. they come home with me. You won’t find any two looking the same, their shape will be somewhat weird (at times) and they may not be that uniform red color you’ve been programmed to associate with ripe tomatoes. My favorite way to enjoy such beauties.. raw a salad!
You’ll Need…
4-5 heirloom tomatoes
1/2 medium red onion
1/4 cup parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 shallot
3-4 tablespoon feta (or any cheese substitute if you’re vegan)
* You can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge. Shake in a bottle or whisk before using. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
* the bunch of red tomatoesyou see in the pic are NOT heirloom tomatoes.. used for staging the pic only.
Wash and remove the stems of the tomatoes. Then slice into wedges and slices. I like a combination of shapes for appeal and texture. Be sure to remove any tough core off the tomatoes, which can be near the stem area. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl as you slice the red onion and chop the parsley.
Finely chop the shallot and crush or finely chop the garlic. Then add it to a small bowl, along with the salt, pepper flakes, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. whisk to form your simple dressing. Please taste for salt and adjust accordingly as I’ve cut back on the amount of salt I eat. drizzle in some pomegranate juice if you’ve got some – wicked!
Pour the dressing onto the salad (tomatoes + red onion + parsley) and gently mix/toss.
Top with crumbled Feta and enjoy. If you’re doing this vegetarian, you may leave out the cheese or use any substitute you’d normally use in such cases. Some toasted cashew nuts would be a great addition, so too some candied pecans.
The natural sweetness of the Heirloom tomatoes along with this herb dressing will delight any taste-bud.
Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2
