And I leave you with one tomato recipe from “Salad Pizza Wine” by Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky. Delicious. And not as complicated as it might seem, but a very impressive dinner dish. It’s just a tomato salad with a few delicious extras.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup capers, rinsed and drained 3/4 cup vegetable oil Tomatoes, thinly sliced Juice of 1 lemon 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Flaky sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (see below) 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1 cup Tonnato (see below) A few fresh dill flowers or sprigs Seasoned Breadcrumbs: 1/2 loaf sourdough bread 1/2 cup grated parmesan 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Tonnato: 10 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 5 large egg yolks 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon white wine, divided 2 (5.6 oz) cans oil-packed tuna, drained 3 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Fry the capers: Pat and dry the capers. In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Check to see if the oil is hot enough by adding a single caper—if it sizzles, it’s ready to go.
Add the capers to the pan and fry until they crisp up and start to look like crystals, about 5 minutes. You’ll notice the capers change color and open as they cook. Reduce the heat as necessary to avoid burning. Transfer the capers onto a paper towel–lined baking sheet to absorb the excess oil.
Assemble the salad: Spread the tomatoes evenly onto a large plate. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with seasoned breadcrumbs, chives and crispy capers. Add a few dollops of tonnato and finish with dill flowers or sprigs.
Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Toast the bread: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Trim off any thick part of the crust and cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until completely dry, but not browned, about 1 hour. Don’t worry, it’s OK if the pieces take on a tiny bit of color. Cool fully, then place in a food processor and pulse into crumbs. You want the crumbs to be roughly the same size—small, but not powdery.
Add the seasoning: In a medium bowl, toss to combine the pulsed breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tonnato
“I know we said we don’t really have rules in the kitchen, so let’s call this one a tip. Never buy water-packed tuna! It’s not nearly as good as the oil-packed versions, so you’re basically doing yourself a disservice by doing that. Tonnato is a classic Italian condiment that is often dumbed down to being tuna mayonnaise, but it’s so much more than that. Tonnato is packed with flavors that can spruce up a lot of dishes: use it as a dip for vegetables, spread it on warm bread, serve it with sliced veal for a classic vitello tonnato or make Tomato Tonnato.”
In a blender, combine the anchovies, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, egg yolks, half of the olive oil and half of the white wine. Pulse until smooth. Add the tuna, capers, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil and white wine. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lemon juice, salt and pepper. The tonnato will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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