Heirloom Tomato Salad

Products needed:

Traditional 18 Year Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

  • The Heirloom tomato salad makes use of five different varieties of Heirloom tomatoes, all at room temperature. Additional ingredients for this recipe include the following:
  • ½ oz fennel, shaved
  • 1 oz Point Reyes blue cheese
  • 2 oz Olive Scene mild Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 oz Olive Scene Traditional Aged Balsamic Vinegar
  • 5 small basil leaves
  • Fleur de sel (salt) (available at the Olive Scene) and fresh pepper to taste 

Directions:

  1. Trim the ends of the tomatoes so that the core is approximately one and a half inches thick.
  2. Using a small round cookie cutter, cut the cylinders of the tomato and reserve them in a mixing bowl. 
  3. Next, trim your fennel so that you will have just the bulb left.
  4. Shave the fennel bulb thinly using a mandolin.
  5. Place the fennel in ice water and allow it to crisp.
  6. The next step is to add the oil and vinegar to the mixing bowl with the tomatoes.
  7. Toss this mixture well in order to coat each tomato thoroughly and evenly and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Reserve the resulting liquid after tossing, which will be used for the tossing the fennel later on.
  9. Arrange the tomatoes in a straight line in the center of a plate, about one inch apart.
  10. Plate the crumbled cheese in the spaces between the tomatoes.
  11. Take your fennel from the ice water and drain it well.
  12. Add it to the liquid from the tomatoes.
  13. Toss the fennel in the liquid and place it on top of the tomatoes.
  14. Finish up your plate by garnishing each tomato with basil leaves.