The Ultimate Flavor of Summer

Summer Tomato Salad Recipe

Featured item: AUG 27, 2007

Heirloom tomatoes have been cultivated and grown for dozens (in some cases, hundreds) of years for their delectable flavor, which is sorely lacking in the high shelf-life commercial hybrids grown and sold in today's supermarkets.

Heirloom seeds exist outside the hidden world of corporate seed companies, multinational chemical fertilizer corporations and genetic engineers. Farmers and small seed companies work hard to preserve heirloom varieties for diversity's sake. Diversity is important (and sustainable!) because the more species there are, the less chance a food crop can be wiped out by pests and disease.

If gardens were like operas, then just about now, around Labor Day, we'd be heading into the bittersweet aria that brings down the house. Now at their fullest and most beautiful, heirloom tomatoes, and summer for that matter, are so fleeting; there’s no way you can freeze or can this moment when they're at their most flavorful.

All you can do is gently gather them (as rough handling will bruise their delicate, juicy flesh) and place them on a large platter so that visitors can see their rich colors and fat dumpling shapes. Each day I choose the ripest to slice and share with a friend and enjoy with a sprinkling of sea salt (to heighten their sweetness), some basil, and perhaps a drizzle of good olive oil.

But what exactly are heirloom tomatoes? Simply put, they're older, open-pollinated (not lab-pollinated) varieties whose seeds have been saved over generations. Think of them as the type of tomato your grandmother – or great grandmother - may have grown, if she was the type to grow tomatoes.

Some of my favorites: Green Zebra are bright, tangy, and with the freshness you associate with a green fruit. Pink Brandywines, with their green shoulders, taste sweet, mellow, and of smooth tomato goodness. Black Krim on the other hand, a mysterious deep purple globe, manages to be both sweet and acidic. Because some heirlooms aren't as disease-tolerant as conventional tomatoes and as such have smaller yields, they may cost a little more. But one bite may convince you and everybody you serve this to that you'll pay any price for the ultimate flavor of summer.

Summer Tomato Salad Recipe

For entertaining, I move beyond the salt shaker and add a few more touches to create a satisfying salad. It's wonderful all by itself.

Serves 4

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes (or 4 pounds of smaller heirlooms, mixed varieties)
2 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from ears
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 12 slices
1 cup thinly sliced Vidalia or red onion, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup slivered opal or other basil
3 tablespoons minced chives

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Core and cut each tomato crosswise into 4 thick slices. Steam corn 2 minutes until slightly tender; cool until warm.

3. Place one tomato slice on 4 plates. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over each. Top with a slice of mozzarella and onion. Sprinkle with corn and herbs. Continue layering the ingredients (you should end with a tomato slice). Let marinate at least 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.—Susie Quick