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

• 2lb cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

For the mustard-tarragon dressing

• small bunch of tarragon (about 1 oz)

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 11/2 tablespoons wholegrain Dijon mustard

• salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup walnut oil or olive oil

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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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