Although there are so many ways to enjoy the seasons best tomatoes, we have just not found a more delicious way to enjoy them off the vine, sliced and accompanied by a symphony of complimentary flavors. The salad is beautiful and bright on a platter and quite a show stopper to the palate.
Caramelized Onions & Garlic
Place thickly sliced onions and garlic cloves on a parchment lined baking tray/sheet, season with salt & pepper to taste, add thyme sprigs and sprinkle with a little olive oil.Cover the onions with foil and cook at 375F for 30 minutes.
Uncover the pan, stir in 1 tsp of sugar and sprinkle with the wine. Return the pan or tray to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 25–30 minutes, stirring once or twice as the onions become soft and browned. When nicely browned, remove from the oven and remove the thyme sprigs, set aside to cool.
Pistou
Pound the garlic to a paste in a mortar and pestle (or use a food processor) with a generous pinch of salt. Coarsely chop the basil leaves and pound them into the garlic until the mixture is relatively smooth. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, while pounding. Taste, and season with more salt if desired, set aside.Salad
On a large platter, arrange the sliced tomatoes in alternating colors down the center of the platter, spreading a dollop of pistou and nestling Arugula leaves in between each slice, reserving a little Pistou. In a separate bowl, toss the small halved tomatoes with the remaining pistou, taking the tomatoes from the bowl, arrange them on each side of the sliced tomatoes. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. Arrange the onions and garlic all over the top of the tomatoes. Drizzle the entire platter with olive oil, sprinkle with the grated Mimolette cheese.Drizzle with the Balsamic glaze and serve.
This salad can be served on a platter for the center of the table, or tomatoes may be stacked on individual plates
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 6-8 1x
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 Assorted Heirloom tomatoes, sliced into thick rounds
- 10–12 Multi-Colored grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 C of Baby Arugula
- 1/2 C of finely grated Mimolette cheese
Carmelized Onions & Garlic
- 3–4 Assorted sweet and spring onions, sliced in medium thick half moons
- 6 whole garlic gloves, peeled (if very large cut in half)
- 6–8 sprigs of thyme
- salt & pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 T white wine
- Olive Oil
Pistou
- 1 large clove of garlic, peeled
- pinch of salt or to taste
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Finishing Touch
- 1 T Balsamic glaze, available ready-made or can be achieved by slowly reducing balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Caramelized Onions & Garlic
- Place thickly sliced onions and garlic cloves on a parchment lined baking tray/sheet, season with salt & pepper to taste, add thyme sprigs and sprinkle with a little olive oil.
- Cover the onions with foil and cook at 375F for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, stir in 1 tsp of sugar and sprinkle with the wine.
- Return the pan or tray to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 25–30 minutes, stirring once or twice as the onions become soft and browned.
- When nicely browned, remove from the oven and remove the thyme sprigs, set aside to cool.
Pistou
- Pound the garlic to a paste in a mortar and pestle (or use a food processor) with a generous pinch of salt.
- Coarsely chop the basil leaves and pound them into the garlic until the mixture is relatively smooth.
- Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, while pounding. Taste, and season with more salt if desired, set aside.
Salad
- On a large platter, arrange the sliced tomatoes in alternating colors down the center of the platter, spreading a dollop of pistou and nestling Arugula leaves in between each slice, reserving a little Pistou.
- In a separate bowl, toss the small halved tomatoes with the remaining pistou, taking the tomatoes from the bowl, arrange them on each side of the sliced tomatoes.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt.
- Arrange the onions and garlic all over the top of the tomatoes.
- Drizzle the entire platter with olive oil, sprinkle with the grated Mimolette cheese.
- Drizzle with the Balsamic glaze and serve.
Notes
Mimolette: A cow’s-milk cheese. Its name comes from the French word molle, meaning “soft”. This refers to the softness of the crust when young – with age it becomes harder. It has a gray crust and orange flesh. The orange color comes from the natural colorant, annatto. The cheese has a similar appearance, at first glance, to a cantaloupe. Its taste resembles that of Parmesan Pistou: A cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. Definitions Adapted From | Wikipedia.
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