I suggest you use a colorful combination of tomatoes, both beefsteak and cherry varieties. Serve this tomato relish as a side-dish or as a condiment on a sandwich. It makes a great sauce for grilled meats and fish too.
serves 4
I suggest you use a colorful combination of tomatoes, both beefsteak and cherry varieties. Serve this as a side-dish or as a condiment on a sandwich. It makes a great sauce for grilled meats and fish too.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, in varying sizes and colors
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs og oregano, leaves picked from stems
- 2 teaspoon coarse salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Directions
Core and cut the larger tomatoes into ½ inch chunks. Slice the larger cherry tomatoes in half, leaving the smaller ones whole. Transfer them all to a serving dish
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and fry them in the oil until they are crisp and golden brown. Remove it from the heat to cool slightly, but you want to make sure the oil is still quite warm when you use it.
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Next add the capers to the bowl. Toss the oregano leaves on top. Then pour the hot oil over the mixture. It will slightly wilt the relish where it comes in contact with the tomatoes, capers and oregano.
Add the red wine vinegar and toss the mixture well.
It will keep in the refrigerator up to one week.
I hate food fads and trends. People should just eat what they like, but I know there were plenty of secret iceberg lovers during those years it was considered declasse! What’s not to love about a fresh little wedge with a zingy homemade dressing like yours! This is not the wedge salad I got in Stratford, Ontario, some years ago — room temp, limp and covered in a great glob of commercial Thousand Island.
My, but your other readers have said it all. From steakhouses, to retro to chldhood memories, this post and the dish has it all. Thanks, and about that new leafy green — while we wait, try the new green veg Kaleidoscope Sprouts, a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. Intriguing, no? Domenica Marchetti just wrote about them at http://www.domenicacooks.com/2012/11/a‑love-child-at-the-thanksgiving-table/
I have not found them in LA yet, but I am on the hunt. Let me know if you find some, and I will do the same. Meantime, I may have to grow my own. But that would be OK. The old adage holds true still — homegrown is alright with me.
I have to admit that I have been shunning the shredded iceburg lettuce at Subway, and opting for the spinach leaves instead. But when it comes to a good hearty wedge, oh yeah… I love me some iceburg! This looks great, and thanks for reminding me of an old classic! 🙂
Why? Because they almost always have a killer iceberg wedge. Well, also because they usually have good wine and bread and butter but the iceberg wedge is a major draw.
Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, our Iceberg salad was a round cross-section slice about a inch thick laid flat on the salad plate. Then, because my Mom was Norwegian, we sprinkled the slab with lots of sugar. We needed a knife and fork to eat it and it was good. I’ve never seen it eaten that way anywhere else in my life. I also enjoy a good wedge with buttermilk dressing. There is something about the juicey crunch.
You are so right. Those little greens used to seem so special & now they are oh so common. Thank goodness that you are highlighting this iceberg wedge salad — the greens of my youth. xo
I honestly think it’s refreshing to revisit retro foods and recipes on occasion. I have dozens of mid-century cookbooks and I really enjoy getting them out and making the old, familiar recipes again. Maybe putting a bit of an udpated spin on them, but keeping the original intent. I’ve been seeing wedge salads on restaurant menus for a while now and I’m glad they’re making a comeback.
I love the classics and always will. The Iceberg wedge salad is one of those that can make some cringe, not me! I love the old style and classics, and bringing them back into modern fare is always a fun trip!
The first time I was seved a wedge of iceberg lettuce in a fancy restaurant, I thought they were out of their mind tacky. It was only later I realized this could be an elegant and delish preparation. Gotta love that learning curve!
http://www.cottagecountry.com/region/muskoka/city/huntsville/
I remember when these came out in Steak houses down in Texas, and we thought it was crazy what they charged for them, but they are good…
This seems like the perfect starter for your steakhouse strip. I had many a meal as a youngster with my parents at NY steakhouses of an iceberg wedge with red house dressing and a medium rare hunk of cow.
but its the buttermilk dressing that really caught my eye!~
You are always learning and teaching. I thank you for that. My dad is a big FAN of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese and bacon. I think that would be his favorite salad. It looks like I should be a fan of it too, minus the bacon of course.
On the weekend, I work at the cafe at Nordstrom and every once and awhile people ask if we have iceberg and unfortunately, I have to dash their hopes and say no. Ha. We do have romaine though…
I love a visit to “retro” food. This salad, a beef wellington, surf and turf, oysters, rockefeller, parfaits, stingers,old fashioneds, manhattans.…haha
This salad is a staple in Chattanooga restaurants. That surprised me on a trip there and it’s darn good. We came home and immediately made homemade blue cheese dressings. Then I realized the calories. Ate it anyway. Of course it’s the south, so there’s plenty of bacon bits on top.
Are you going to be at Food buzz Festival (say yes). And, I gave you a big shout on on my cherry macaroon post.
Simple and delicious, love retro chic food! I always have liked ice berg, but it’s also what I grew up with!
so simple, so gorgeous! i can’t remember the last time i bought a head of iceberg…but i will be going to get one now!
Down through the years I have enjoyed more of this type of lettuce than any of the others. It is clean, pretty, has a good flavor and pairs well with sandwiches beautifully. Wedged is neat in appearance, but torn it is artistic and easier to eat. I love the iceberg lettuce and I do combine it with other green lettuces as the base and the others as fillers. My favorite way to eat this lettuce is with a piping hot hamburger taken from the grill and placed on top. The juices from the meat soften and flavor the lettuce. Wonderful.
I saw Morimoto do a frozen Iceberg wedge on Iron Chef last night. I think it was battle coconut??
I have had some great wedge salads and some fine steak houuses around the country. Nothing like a medium rare steak and a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing.
I like a spring mix and a good Caesar, sure. But I really enjoyed the few wedge salads that I’ve had. Served on a cold plate, they are the perfect precursor to a steak on a hot plate.
I found the last peak for iceberg in ’89 interesting because I worked for a large retail grocery chain back then. I was in the stores from 84 to 89 (moved into the division offices in 89 until leaving in 2000). The lettuce used to come in cased and we would process it onsite. That would involve pulling off wilty or brown leaves, trimming off the butt, and over wrapping it with plastic wrap. About 87 to 89, they started coming in “pretrimmed and pre-wrapped”. I wonder if that had anything to do with the down turn. Especially since it is losing ground to romaine, etc which still come in fresh and processed on site.
interesting insider notes…GREG
You are correct: I am a iceberg snob. I do not even like to see salads full of them with a few wispy pieces of mesclun on top, disguising themselves as a fancy salad. Why? Maybe because many restaurants make it look so crappy. Do not give me huge chunks of the core! They need to present it nicely as you did Greg and then I may be happy to see it. I am pissed so I am going downstairs to eat me some bagged organic baby spinach with some balsamic and swear up a storm.
Interesting history behind the iceberg lettuce. I never knew anything about it except that you eat it. I like to eat it wedges sometimes too. Drizzled with a nice dressing or vinaigrette.
This week, I made BLTs and used iceberg lettuce. Iceberg is all we ate when I was a kid and I have to be honest — after years of bagged lettuce, there was something oddly satisfying about the crunch of iceberg. I might become a future convert. 🙂