KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — The heat can be unbearable. Too hot to cook, certainly.
Times like these what I desire is a salad, a chilled salad and not the warm sort made from roasted vegetables and meat.
No leafy greens, please. The last thing I want is to tackle a forkful of unruly arugula. In fact, as few add-ons as possible — no chunks of chicken breast, no scattering of pumpkin seeds, no wodges of cheese.
Though that last ingredient does give me an idea.
A late summer in Trento and a long, multi-course dinner at my Italian friend’s home. His mother prepared a classic insalata Caprese — freshly plucked leaves of basil, generous wedges of mozzarella cheese; and vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced just as thickly.
And so it goes, the colours of the Italian flag: green, white and red.
What if I kept things basic though? Just the tomatoes, albeit the best I can possibly find. What I envision is feeling as cool as... an heirloom tomato salad, perfect for summer.
The advent of mass commercial farming has its advantages: to some, the identically red and smooth orbs is something reliable and reassuring.
Yet when you discover how these heirloom cherry tomatoes can come in a riot of colours, you’d be forgiven for thinking you have been missing out.
And it’s not only the tinier cherry tomatoes that have heirloom varietals. We also have heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, larger and more impressive; their craggy ridges scoffing at their unwrinkled cousins.
A chilled heirloom tomato salad — that’s just the thing, really!
Heirloom Tomato Salad
The most important advice for this recipe might well be to use a sharp knife to slice the tomatoes. (Or risk uneven, ugly slices that threaten to collapse. The horrors!)
The thickness of each slice is entirely up to you, of course. I prefer a thicker cut to showcase the stripes and striations of these heirloom varietals. Such beauty ought to be unabashedly displayed.
With tomatoes this fresh, you’d be forgiven if you’d consider them good enough to eat on their own. Indeed they are.
Yet consider making a tangy dressing to further accentuate their natural sweetness. Nothing too fancy; the good old fashioned duo of olive oil and balsamic vinegar works a treat.
Extra virgin for the former, aged for the latter. And a little bit of sugar to let the oil and vinegar get to know each other better, like a vinaigrette matchmaker.
Some fresh fennel fronds in lieu of dill (they sort of look similar, like delicate green feathers) will add some light texture and subtle height to an otherwise flat plate of sliced tomatoes. The fennel fronds’ aniseed like notes can be a nice contrast to the tomatoes.
Finish the salad with some coarse sea salt.
Some might prefer seasoning the sliced tomatoes earlier or including the salt in the dressing. This approach can be excellent if you like marinated tomatoes as the salt helps the tomato juices to mingle with the dressing.
If you prefer this method, allow the salad to rest for 8-10 minutes before serving at room temperature. The flavours will be deeper and any strong notes softened, especially if you include sharp aromatics such as garlic and onions.
Here, we are keeping things simple. No garlic and no onions. I want this salad cool, not pungent.
Therefore I find salting too early tends to cause the tomatoes to release its liquids too soon, making the salad a watery mess. I want every slice to remain “crisp” as though I had just cut the tomato.
Salting the salad at the end allows the juices to be retained in every mouthful. The crunch from a light sprinkling of coarse salt is worth savouring too. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 200g heirloom cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 large heirloom beefsteak tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Some fresh fennel fronds
- Coarse sea salt, to finish
Method
First begin by washing the heirloom tomatoes thoroughly. The crevices, especially near the stems of the beefsteak tomatoes, might require brushing to remove any dirt.
Using a sharp knife, slice the tomatoes according to your desired thickness. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large platter, beginning with the wider beefsteak tomatoes and followed with the smaller cherry tomatoes.
Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sugar in a bowl, whisking briskly until the sugar dissolves. Pour this dressing over the tomatoes, making sure to coat every slice.
Season with some freshly ground black pepper and garnish with some fresh fennel fronds.
Finish by scattering some coarse sea salt over the salad and serve immediately.
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