Heirloom Tomato Salad with Roquefort
This colorful salad combines juicy summer tomatoes with assertive Roquefort cheese and a trio of refreshing herbs. If you prefer a milder salad, use goat cheese instead.
Ingredients
- 1 small garlic clove
- Fleur de sel, to taste
- 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 lb. heirloom tomatoes in assorted shapes, sizes and colors
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Leaves from 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh chervil leaves
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Directions
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and a pinch of fleur de sel into a paste. Stir in the red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, then gently stir in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with more fleur de sel as needed. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Cut the large tomatoes into thick slices and the smaller tomatoes into quarters or in half, depending on their size and shape. Pile the larger tomatoes in the center of a serving platter or a large shallow bowl, and place the smaller tomatoes around the edges. Season with fleur de sel and pepper.
Tuck the basil leaves in and around the tomatoes and scatter the shallots, chervil and parsley leaves on top. Sprinkle with the cheese and spoon some of the vinaigrette over the salad. Serve immediately and pass the remaining vinaigrette at the table. Serves 8.
Recipe by Chef Marjorie Taylor.