I like the title of this post, I think I have found a rather long winded way of describing your everyday tomato salad. But this is not your everyday tomato salad, it is the best I/You have had. The key to this salad is the tomatoes, if you can get your hands of some great vine-ripened tomatoes, you have a winner.
This salad is great as a side dish to any meal or you can just have it on its own as a snack.
Here is the lowdown on how to make this salad
- You will need three tomatoes, one spanish onion & a handful of spanish olives to serve four people.
- Cut each tomato into eight wedges.
- Finely slice the onion. I used a mandolin.
- Slice the olives or you can choose to keep them whole.
- In a bowl combine two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil & two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season generously with salt & freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, onion & olives into the bowl. Combine all ingredients well, then leave it to stand for about 20 minutes to let the flavours mingle.
- To serve: Stack tomatoes on a plate, spoon onions & olives, in and around the stack. Drizzle basil oil over the salad.
To make the basil oil or any herb oil, just do as below
- Fill a large pot with boiling water & lots of salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil.
- Prepare a large bowl with water & lots of ice.
- Add a whole bunch of basil into boiling water for about 10 – 15 seconds.
- Strain off the basil and put it into the bowl of iced water.
- After a few minutes strain off the basil & dry it properly with paper towels.
- Add basil into a blender, add just enough oil to barely cover the basil.
- Blitz the basil and oil until basil is thorougly blended.
- Place a fine sieve over a container, pour blitzed mixture into the sieve & then leave it. The oil will drip slowly into your container.
by Kaasa
19 May 2009 at 20:05
Monsieur Gourmand,
Interesting that you blanched the Basil before adding to the oil. I’m curious as to why? I’ve never seen this done before? Does it enhance taste…?
I usually just blend mine with the oil then strain.
Also, another thing I’m curious about, what sorts of Balsamics are readily available in Nairobi? I’m wild about Balsamic vinegars but usually have to reduce them first.
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The salad looks good, but I’m not a tomato fan. I would have blanched, gotten rid of the skin (the worst part of the tomato for me), de-seeded and then proceeded… But that’s just me.
J’aime beaucoup ton cuisine Monsieur Gourmand!
by porkygourmand
19 May 2009 at 20:42
@Kaasa blanching is all about enhancing & preserving the colour. About the balsamics, I have only seen your everyday modena balsamics, i have not seen any aged balsamics. It’s a pity you don’t like tomatoes, one thing about tomatoes is that they are seasonal, you may see them in the supermarket all year round but they may not taste good all year. In nairobi, i have found in nairobi, the street mama mbogas have better tomatoes than supermarkets, why? I don’t know.
je vous remercie, ont une bonne journée – my google translate french:)
by Kaasa
19 May 2009 at 21:23
Thank goodness you’re not using Google to translate recipes!
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The only tomato I like is an organic sundried – and not often – only on pizza. The mama mboga ones are good because they’re organic? Someone in the office was telling me the other day that Israeli tomatoes are the best, because they’re nourished by sea water. Don’t know…
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Books:
I saw your Alinea and want to get one sometime. But I am looking to get Phaidon’s massive Italian “Silver Spoon’, which is apparently, the cooking bible there (Italy).
But right now, I’m working through Claudia Roden’s ‘Arabesque’. I love her and have been a fan for years.
Maybe someday, you could do a ‘dream’ menu post (and tell us the occasion/location)? I’d love to see how you set it up – plus desert and wines (and water!)
Gotta earn my salary…
Peace again!
by Tamaku
20 May 2009 at 21:39
The presentation is impeccable. Just wow!
by porkygourmand
21 May 2009 at 21:08
@Tamaku thanks mate!
by Des
22 May 2009 at 22:37
Looks awesome. Well presented. I don’t like olives but that looks good enough to eat.
by porkygourmand
23 May 2009 at 02:09
@Des Asante sana…………