Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
Serves 4
1 ‘Prudens Purple’ or other red heirloom tomato
1 ‘Kellogg’s Breakfast’ or other yellow heirloom tomato
1 ‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green’ or other green heirloom tomato
1 ‘White Beauty’ or other blond heirloom tomato
1 pint ‘Sungold’ cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pint ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’ tomatoes
2 oz. Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. highest quality extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp. 15- to 20-year-aged balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs genovese or opal basil
fleur de sel, to taste
fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
On four plates (or on one large platter), fan one, ¾-inch slice of each of the four heirloom tomatoes, cascading one color atop the previous one. Place a smattering of the ‘Sungolds’ atop the fan. Drizzle olive oil over the slices to coat, then follow with a drizzle of the aged balsamic. Sprinkle fleur de sel over each and follow with cracked black pepper. Sprinkle on some thinly sliced basil leaves, and finish with shavings of Parmesan, cut from a wedge with a vegetable peeler. Place a clump of ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’ tomatoes on top of the tomatoes, and carefully insert a top from each of the four sprigs of basil in the vine as garnish. Serve.
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