Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Heirloom Tomato Salad

There is nothing better than a fresh, simple salad for dinner on a nice warm day. I got off work yesterday and ventured into Whole Foods and came upon these delicious heirloom tomatoes and knew immediately that I needed to have them for dinner. I added some fresh herbs, mozzarella cheese, and home made croutons, it was delicious! I can't wait to have the left overs for lunch today.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

1 Small Loaf Crusty French Bread
2/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano, chopped
3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Large Heirloom Tomatoes
3 Regular Red Tomatoes
1 Pound Small Mozzarella Cheese Balls

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Cut the crust off the bread and tear the remaining loaf into 1-inch pieces. Toss with 1/3 cup of the olive oil, squeezing the bread to help absorb the oil. Sprinkle lightly with a bit of salt, and place on a baking sheet. Toast stirring a few times until the croutons are golden brown, about 15 minutes, let cool.
Using a wooden spoon or muddler, pound the oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl to release the oils from the herb. Add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, vinegar and basil and whisk to combine.
Stem and chop tomatoes into large pieces and add to the vinegar mixture. Cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces, if necessary, and add to the tomato mixture, stir well to combine. Let rest for about 15 minutes to let flavors meld together, stir again. Serve in a bowl with the fresh croutons.

4 comments:

Katie said...

Ooh! Heirloom tomatoes make everything better. This salad looks beautiful and so fresh. I can't wait to try this!

QGIRL said...

best of use of fresh tomatoes! love all the different colors too.

BuyWoWAccounts said...

Another one healthy salad! I'll definitely love this! Thanks for sharing!

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Rob @ Howtocookhero.com said...

All that mozzarella cheese is obviously the secret! Love the recipe.