Heirloom Tomato Salad

I’ve thrown together a lot of tomato salads in my life. And certainly not all need to be highlighted here…That said, I made one over the weekend that is a bit offbeat, in a good way -a seasonal salad worth sharing. I think the magic happened when I decided to roast half of the tomatoes. The salad became a mix of beautiful heirlooms in shades of greens, reds, yellows, and orange, tossed with their roasted, caramelized counterparts. The roasted tomatoes brought depth to the salad – well worth the bit of extra time and effort.

Building on the tomatoes

Beyond the tomato base (use your best & make sure they’re ripe), I found myself pulling from ingredients around the kitchen. Capers, quickly pan-fried, added a mustardy pop. Crunch came from toasted almonds, and creamy fresh mozzarella delivered just the right amount of decadence. Fresh herbs added a bright finishing accent.

Don’t let my version influence you too much. Play around! You can take the basic premise (a tomato salad made with a mix of ripe and roasted in-season tomatoes) in unlimited different directions. Try different nuts, herbs, and vinaigrettes. A version using this pesto is A+. Experiment with different tomato varietals and shapes. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds / 1 kg tomatoes ( a mix of small heirlooms & cherry tomatoes), halved
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
• couple pinches of fine grain sea salt
• 1/3 cup toasted almond slices
• 2 tablespoons capers, fried in a bit of oil
• 6 oz good mozzarella, torn into chunks
• a handful of torn lettuce leaves
• generous drizzle of lemon olive oil or chive oil*

Instructions

1. To start, you’re going to roast about 1/2 of the tomatoes – as I mention up above, preferably a mix of cherry and heirlooms. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven. Toss the tomatoes you will be roasting gently (but well) in a bowl along with the olive oil, sugar, and salt. Arrange them in a single layer, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, without stirring, until the tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize around the edges, 45 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. When ready to serve, gently toss the roasted and raw tomatoes with a bit of chive or lemon oil, most of the almonds, the capers, the mozzarella, and the lettuce. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed. Serve topped with the remaining almonds, and any herb flowers you might have.