August seems to have morphed into September in the blink of an eye. One of the surest indications of this phenomenon is the appearance of apples at the farmers’ markets. I’ve nothing against apples per se, but to my taste they will never replace peaches, nectarines, berries, and the rest of summer’s cornucopia of fruits.
Only a few of the stone fruits can still be found here in the mid-Atlantic region, but tomatoes will linger on a bit longer. To maximize the full exquisite pleasure of the remaining days of full-flavored, juicy tomatoes, I recently went through a whirlwind binge of making tomato salads. I was seeking something different, a variation on the standard tomato-basil-feta salads we enjoy at our house all summer long.
For this bit of gustatory experimentation I culled through two authors whose books have been my favorites for the past year. Amanda Hesser’s The Essential New York Times Cookbook “Tomatoes Vinaigrette” yields a salad that is unusual and much more delicious than you might think just reading the ingredients: Vinegar, olive oil, chopped capers, a teaspoon of finely chopped cornichon, a tiny bit of minced onion, salt, pepper, minced parsley and chives, all of which are whisked together and poured over sliced tomatoes. The key to the salad is to peel the tomatoes. “Do not be tempted to skip peeling the tomatoes,” cautions Hesser. “The soft peeled texture is vital to the dish.”
I love Dorie Greenspan’s delicious offerings in Around My French Table, and so will you if you don’t already have the book. Her “Tomato and Pepper Salad” is merely a footnote to the recipe for Muenster Cheese Souffle, but this lively little salad goes with any number of dishes, and is colorful as well as versatile. It calls for grape tomatoes cut in half, ½ red bell pepper and one roasted red pepper (both diced), salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin and a drizzle of olive oil. I also added a squeeze of lemon when I made it to brighten the flavors even more.
The third tomato salad recipe is from one of Mark Bittman’s old New York Times pieces that I found lurking in my files. It calls for halved cherry or grape tomatoes, soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil, and minced basil or cilantro. “The tomato juice-soy thing is incredible,” writes Bittman.
As for pairing wine with any of these salads, you’re on your own. Drop me a note at [email protected] and let me know if you come up with any interesting matches. Meanwhile, I’m going back to noshing on tomatoes tossed with basil, feta and a splash of olive oil.
7