Classic Tomato Salads

 

Classic Tomato Salad

Tomato are ill suited to being grown in cooler climes, struggling against moody skies. What they really revel in is sunlight that endows them with sugars, which in turn make them tasty to eat

Sugar, though, is only half the battle and acidity is equally important. Just as tasteless strawberry is brought to life by a squeeze of lemon, so tomatoes need balance sweet and sour o be truly scintillating. The seeds too, which we all to readily dispense with, are crucial as the surrounding jelly harbors a wealth of acids and volatile flavors. unless it is absolutely necessary to a recipe, ridding tomatoes of their seeds is a wasteful vanity. And if it is the wrong time of the year generally, the best bet will be cherry tomatoes the smaller they are, the sweeter and more intensely flavored they will be. One ruse for encouraging otherwise unexciting fruit is to line them up in on a windowsill in the sun before cutting into them.

There are endless ways of jazzing up salads, but none so useful or delicious as the basic. A large chunk of crusty bread is essential for mopping up the juices-there should be plenty. In fact you can leave the tomatoes to bleed for up to an hour, by which time you will have a lovely soupy pool to dip into. You should take advantage of the many types of tomatoes on offer, tiny pert cherries in gold and red, slightly larger ones on the vine, plum, beefsteak, and so on, and play on the different characters you will love the great flavors that they bring.

Enclose with this article is a recipe for a simple Classic Tomato Salad for you to try.

Classic Tomato Salad

1/12 pounds of assorted tomatoes

3/4  teaspoon sea salt

1/2  teaspoon sugar

   6  tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Except for the cherry tomatoes, cut out the core, then halve, quarter,or slice the tomatoes as seem appropriate. The difficulty of cutting these slippery balls is such that you either need to have a razor sharp blade or, even better, a serrated knife.

The next step is to bleed the tomatoes of some of their juices- these have their own acidity and dispense with the need for added vinegar. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt and sugar. leave to stand for 30 minutes

Arrange the tomatoes on a large, shallow rimmed plate, adding any juices that are given out. Pour over the olive oil to serve then enjoy with that crusty bread.

For more information about this article or the Handicapped Chef e-mail us at thehandicappedchef@gmail.com

The Handicapped Chef is owner of Triple H catering service and Chef Brand Foods Inc.