Vibrant heirloom tomatoes give way to a deliciously simple salad. Wonderful as a starter, side, or seasonal entrée, you’ll want to make this every week until late-September (or until tomatoes lose their luster). After all, there’s nothing quite as delightful as an heirloom tomato salad. Paired with crisp rosé and grilled ciabatta, this dish is summertime heaven.
What are Heirloom Tomatoes?
Picked at peak harvest, these heirloom tomatoes are as flavorful as they are colorful. Sweet and juicy, they represent the innate goodness of fresh, locally-grown food. Farm to table, there’s nothing better. In many ways, ripe tomatoes celebrate the warm, fleeting days of summer. In essence, an heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid tomato. The seeds are what make it an heirloom tomato. The seeds are passed down from season to season, cultivated by farmers. Typically, farmers reach for seeds from tomato plants that produced the best fruit. Heirloom tomatoes are also often open-pollinated—meaning, they are pollinated naturally: by birds, insects, wind, or human hands.
Ingredients in This heirloom tomato salad
Heirloom tomato
The star of the show! Any color will do. Use an heirloom tomato that feels heavy for its size but isn’t bruised or wrinkly.
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
The base of the dressing, be sure to sure high-quality EVOO.
White wine vinegar
For acidity (you can sub for lemon juice!). This is my favorite white wine vinegar.
honey mustard
For a sweet kick.
sea salt
To round out the dish’s simple flavors. Opt for flaky salt!
black pepper
Freshly cracked, this goes hand-in-hand with the tomato.
fresh chives
For a bit more aromatics (and color).
Simple Honey Mustard vinaigrette
Truly magnificent, these tomatoes hardly need an accompaniment. Simplicity is key. Straight off the cutting board, sprinkled with a pinch of flaky sea salt, they’re incredibly delicious. Without loosing the integrity of the tomatoes, I created a quick and basic honey mustard vinaigrette. Along with a few chopped chives, this dish comes together in no time. I love eating this salad at room temperature, especially after the tomatoes have marinated in the vinaigrette for a few hours.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Slice tomato into wedges and arrange in a shallow bowl.
- Mix all vinaigrette ingredients (except chives) in a mason jar, weck jar, or salad dressing bottle. Shake vigorously.
- Drizzle the salad dressing on top of the tomatoes. Top with chopped chives.
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