Pick red, orange and yellow tomatoes fresh from your garden to create a rainbow of flavour in this colourful tomato and pine nut salad recipe. Use any combination of interesting tomato varieties to serve up in this tasty salad with other antipasti or as an end to dinner.
From the cookbook Per La Famiglia: Memories and Recipes of Southern Italian Home Cooking by Emily Richards, Whitecap Books.
Serves 8
Salad Ingredients
4 tomatoes, such as beefsteak or heirloom varieties (red, yellow and orange)
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt, divided
1/4 tsp (1 mL) fresh ground pepper, divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Balsamic Glaze
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 cup (250 mL) halved grape tomatoes (yellow or red)
1/3 cup (80 mL) pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 oz (90 g) Gorgonzola or Asiago cheese, crumbled
Directions
Slice tomatoes into 1/2-inch (6 mm) thick slices and arrange decoratively on a platter, overlapping slightly if necessary. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of the salt and a pinch of pepper.
In small bowl, whisk together oil, Balsamic Glaze, garlic and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt; set aside.
In another bowl, stir together grape tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, parsley and remaining salt and pepper. Spoon over sliced tomatoes. Spoon vinegar mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese.
Make ahead: Make tomato and pine nut salad, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Note: To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes or until light golden. Alternatively, place them on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 8 minutes, shaking pan once.
Note: Freeze Gorgonzola for about 15 minutes for easier crumbling.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Per La Famiglia: Memories and Recipes of Southern Italian Home Cooking by Emily Richards, Whitecap Books. Professional Home Economist, Emily Richards, a specialist in Food and Nutrition celebrates the loving tradition of passing on treasured family recipes from generation to generation. Whether you hail from an Italian family or are just a lover of Italian food, Per La Famiglia is a feast for the eyes and stomach with easy to follow recipes which will allow you to prepare Southern Italian food for your loved ones.
