Heirloom Tomato Salad

The quintessential summer salad.

July 05, 2018

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 3 Cup(s)
  • 2 Brandywine, Black Krim, or other heirloom tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds)
  • 4 Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, or other heirloom tomatoes (about 1 pound)
  • ¼ cup (2 ounces) Herb Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
  • 12 dried culinary lavender flowers
  • 8 pea tendrils or baby arugula leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
HERB VINAIGRETTE:
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) avocado oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, halved lengthwise
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) aged red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon wildflower honey
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Cut the large tomatoes into ¼-inch-thick slices. (Reserve ends for another use, such as making tomato sauce.) Cut the small tomatoes into quarters. Arrange 2 to 4 tomato slices on each of 4 plates. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the Herb Vinaigrette.

2. Press the lavender flowers with the edge of a knife until they split. Sprinkle the tomato slices with some of the lavender. Top each salad with 4 to 6 tomato wedges. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle evenly with more lavender.

3. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender. Add the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, honey, thyme, and salt. Process on low speed 2 minutes until smooth. Slowly add remaining ¼ cup oil processing until emulsified. Stir in the parsley. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

About this recipe

Excerpted from Soul by Todd Richards. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 3 Cup(s)
  • 2 Brandywine, Black Krim, or other heirloom tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds)
  • 4 Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, or other heirloom tomatoes (about 1 pound)
  • ¼ cup (2 ounces) Herb Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
  • 12 dried culinary lavender flowers
  • 8 pea tendrils or baby arugula leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
HERB VINAIGRETTE:
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) avocado oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, halved lengthwise
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) aged red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon wildflower honey
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley