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August 2004 Recipe
Cherry Tomato Salad with Wholegrain Mustard and Tarragon
Flavors blend wonderfully well in this simple little salad.
Walnut oil adds a touch of luxury, but olive oil can be used
instead. To make this a more substantial course, add some
cold roast chicken.
Serves 4-6 as an appetizer
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2lb
cherry tomatoes
-
1/2 cup
walnut pieces
For the mustard-tarragon dressing
-
small
bunch of tarragon (about 1 oz)
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2
tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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11/2
tablespoons wholegrain Dijon mustard
-
salt and
pepper
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1/2 cup
walnut oil or olive oil
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Peel the
tomatoes. Peeling them may seem tiresome, but in this case
it's well worth doing, so the tomato juice runs and mixes with the
dressing.
-
For the
dressing: Strip the tarragon leaves from their stems,
setting some sprigs aside for decoration. Coarsely chop the
leaves. Whisk the vinegar with the mustard, salt and pepper
in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil so the dressing
emulsifies and thickens slightly. Whisk in the chopped
tarragon, taste and adjust the seasoning.
-
Put the
tomatoes into a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the
tomatoes, mixing carefully, an taste again for seasoning. Shortly
before serving, sprinkle the tomatoes with walnuts and top with
tarragon sprigs.
Getting Ahead: Cherry Tomato Salad can be made and kept
at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and the flavors will mellow in
that time.
On
the Side: Plenty of crusty bread to absorb the dressing.
In
the glass: Here's the place for one of those colorful
Mediterranean aperitifs such as Campari, Lillet, Dubonnet, or a
red or white vermouth.
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