Heirloom Tomato Salad
An heirloom tomato salad relies entirely on the quality of the fruit; slice them thick, salt them early to draw out their juices, and use a heavy-handed pour of high-quality olive oil to create a dressing that gathers at the bottom of the plate.
Wait for the season
Do not attempt this with pale, refrigerated supermarket tomatoes. You need fruit that feels heavy for its size and smells like earth when you run your thumb against the stem.
- serrated knife
- large shallow platter
What goes in.
- 3 lbassorted heirloom tomatoes, room temperature
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbspred wine vinegar
- 1 tspflaky sea salt
- 1/2 cuptorn fresh basil leaves
- optionalcracked black pepper
Season before dressing
Salt the sliced tomatoes directly on the platter and let them sit for five minutes before adding the oil; this pulls the tomato water into the dressing, creating a rich brine.
The method.
Prepare the tomatoes
Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the tomatoes into thick, irregular wedges or 1/2-inch slices. Remove any tough woody cores.
Arrange and salt
Lay the pieces out on your platter so they overlap slightly. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly over the surface.
Dress
Whisk the vinegar into the olive oil, then drizzle the mixture over the tomatoes. Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Finish
Scatter the torn basil over the top. Add fresh cracked pepper if you prefer, but let the tomato juice be the primary flavor.
Other turns to take.
Creamy
Add torn fresh mozzarella or burrata tucked between the tomato slices.
Sharp
Thinly slice red onion into paper-thin translucent rounds and layer them with the tomatoes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator; the cold kills their texture and mutes their scent.
Use a shallow platter rather than a deep bowl so the tomatoes don't crush themselves under their own weight.
If the tomatoes are particularly acidic, skip the vinegar and rely on the natural juices and salt.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I peel the tomatoes?
No. The skin provides structure to the slice and adds a necessary snap against the soft flesh.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Not really. Tomatoes start to break down and become mealy once salted; assemble this just before you sit down to eat.
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