This heirloom tomato summer salad is the easiest thing to throw together, and you don’t have to heat up the oven to make it! It’s the perfect thing to whip up while the grill is going. What makes it special is how the onions “cook” in a small pinch of salt. The salt denatures the proteins, pulling out the moisture and adding that oniony flavor to the dressing. Its a trick I picked up years ago while I worked as a line cook for a restaurant in Cleveland called Fire, Food and Drink.
To go on a tangent for a moment, Fire is by far the nicest, cleanest and well run kitchen I have worked at in my entire life. I went to the Culinary Institute of America, and even worked there after graduation, but those kitchens didn’t even come close to what I experienced at Fire. There was a four step process to cleaning the floors at the end of the night. I wasn’t so appreciative of that after I got out of my 9-5 internship at Nestle and was then sweeping, deck brushing, mopping and squeegy-ing at 1am, but now I think it all added to the experience. There was so much love, finesse and grit in that place! If you’re ever in Cleveland, you must go. The tips and tricks I learned there definitely continue to influence my work.
Anywhooo back to this super easy and delicious salad! Here’s the recipe:
Heirloom Tomato Salad
This heirloom tomato summer salad is the perfect recipe to whip up while the grill is going!
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 heirloom tomatoes
- 4 mini cucumbers
- 1 can canned chick peas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon
- garlic powder, tt
- salt and pepper, tt
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium bowl, add the onions and a small pinch of salt. Stir until well combined and let sit while you prep the rest of the veggies.
- Step 2 Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the cucumbers into large chunks. Add them to the bowl with the chickpeas, olive oil and the juice of one lemon.
- Step 3 Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and garnish with basil.
