It’s Maniac Monday again and time to celebrate TomatoMania.
Today I am making the first of the winning TomatoMania recipes. I was so worried about how to choose which one to start with. But fortunately fate stepped in and decided for me.
If you read this blog yesterday then you know I am posting recipes that feature mint this week. Nothing but mint all week long. Like some old worn out broken record. Yep, that’s me! If you were unaware of this mint-only requirement then you are at least one day behind on your reading. Hit the backspace and quit jumping ahead to see how things turn out.
Well, only one of the winning recipes highlights mint. So I am starting with the Insalata Primaverile di Fruta e Pomodoro from Just Call Me Marta. Which means Springtime Salad of Fruit and Tomato!
Which is a bit redundant because knowledgeable readers of this blog already know that tomato is a fruit.
Which is what makes Marta’s salad so clever.
I made this salad, and it’s just the sort of deft pairing of the usual with the unusual that makes me smile. The acidity of the tomatoes is nicely balanced with the yogurt and mascarpone. Marta’s use of a pinch of salt, may feel unexpected. But if you stop and think about how to best use salt, then it makes perfect sense. Because it brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes. It makes them a lovely partner to the more traditional elements in this fruit salad.
Insalata Primaverile di Frutta e Pomodoro
1 lb interesting tomatoes: grape, cherry, red, orange, yellow, green, zebra, and heirloom.
1‑cup seedless green grapes
1 cup chopped strawberries1 orange, zested and cut in segments
1 grapefruit, cut in segments
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Handful of fresh basil
Handful of fresh mint
Drizzle of honey
Pinch of salt
Handful of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/2‑cup mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2‑cup plain yogurt
1. Cut the tomatoes in bite-sized pieces. Add the grapes, strawberries, orange and grapefruit segments.
2. Add the orange and lemon zest, the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, herbs and honey. Mix well and let it sit for 1 hour in the fridge so the flavors can marry and the juices combine. Stir well a couple of times.
3. Beat the mascarpone until fluffy, adds the yogurt, and drizzle with some honey.
4. Sprinkle seeds on the salad and serve with a dollop of the mascarpone yogurt, drizzle some more honey if you wish and throw some breezy mint leaves on top. Welcome spring!
I made this for a small dinner with a close friend. It was a great salad. I loved seeing my friend Helen’s look of astonishment when I told her there were tomatoes in it too. It’s such fun to surprise the people you love with a little of the unexpected.
I followed this recipe pretty faithfully with 3 minor exceptions. It seems I julienned the basil and mint. I so enjoy doing that I couldn’t stop myself. I used white balsamic so that the colors would stay bright and un-muddied. I also left out the grapefruit… it’s not that I do not like grapefruit. It just worked out that way!
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
I’m making this dish as I type and, while the chicken’s browning, thought I’d mention that the instructions call for several ingredients not on the ingredients list, namely garlic, red wine vinegar and parsley. I have all these items but will have to guess on the quantities. No big deal but I mention it so you can update the recipe for others.
By the way, my kitchen smells heavenly right now. Can’t wait to have this for dinner tonight. So nice to have an option besides strawberry-rhubarb pie.
Sandra
Can’t wait for my rhubarb to be ready to try this out. Love the idea of using rhubarb in a savory way.
I also read that most food styling is done partially cooked, and even another blogger told me once that I should take photos half way through, even plating…why am I craving legs right now? The crispy golden brown California variety…
… has been revealed to me! Each recipe is even more delicious than the last.
An aside: the uncooked chicken legs and thighs look like the missing chorus line from ‘Because a Can, Can Can-Can’!
Have you been studying up on food photography? The majority of the beautiful food photos out there are not cooked fully, but i’m sure you already knew that! I love the chicken and rhubarb combination, I think I will make some of my own this weekend.
I’m quite impressed at how many different ways the rhubarb can be used. Yummy chicken!
Greg thanks for this dish! I’ve just come back from the market with a pleased smile on my face because I finally found acceptable rhubarb! I’ll make this recipe for sure since (the cheap‑o I am) I bought an obscene amount of chicken because it was on sale. Great all on the paprika, I think it’s smokiness will really round out the braised rhubarb and add personality to the taste.
The chicken arranged like that looks like the Sicilian flag… in a scary “attack of the chicken legs” way! hahaha
Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Well, on your rhubarb tart post I recall having visions of tarts, pickles and chutneys… You’ve just completed my wish list!!
Thanks for this!
Clever dish and even more clever with snapping the photo before the dish is done. It’s a good looking one no doubt.
I love chicken thighs so much. Nice choice and I love the rhubarb deal you are cooking up these last few days. By coincidence, that happens to be one of the ingredients in this weeks http://www.foodiefights.com battle!
Cheers!
Nick
Macheesmo