Queenie Cooks: Roasted Tomato Salad

Hey there, cats and kittens! While Miya and Elisabeth have been tempting you with visions of sugarplums and whatnot, I've been dreaming of summer's long-gone produce, and obsessing in particular over a salad I ate about twice a week in August and September: Frankies Spuntino's tomato and avocado salad.

The Frankies (there are two of them, you see) describe it as "making gazpacho in your mouth," and they're right. Even though there's no avocado in the traditional Spanish soup, the ingredients (tomatoes, avocado, red onion, olive oil, sherry vinegar, sea salt and pepper) somehow combine in each bite to create an experience akin to, yes, gazpacho.

But, obviously, the time for this salad has passed. It would be pointless to make it with an early northeastern winter's listless, anemic tomatoes, even if I could find any at the market. And so, when I was whining to Miya a few weeks back about craving the salad and not knowing what to do about it, she suggested I try creating a version with roasted tomatoes.

Roasting those same plain Jane tomatoes turns them sweet and smoky, you see, the heat lending them character where once there was none. And even though I didn't have any avocado on hand, I decided to put the plan in motion, roasting some plum tomatoes with olive oil, sherry vinegar and slivers of red onion. A shower of flaky sea salt and a few turns of the pepper mill later, I had a plate full of winter-turned-summer.

Unlike most vegetable-based salads, this one is easy to make ahead; just roast the tomatoes up to two days before serving them, place them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and cover everything with plastic wrap. When the time comes, take the tomatoes out of the fridge about 45 minutes before you want to serve the salad. Just before serving, toss the tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients. Boom. Salad. Done.

(This salad is also great as a pasta; just toss the salad with hot pasta and a little extra salt. Boom. Pasta. Done.)

Roasted Tomato Salad

6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. sherry vinegar
1/3 small red onion, sliced as thin as possible
Sea salt

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use aluminum foil to line a pan or skillet just large enough to hold the tomatoes in one layer (I used an 8-inch skillet). (A too-large pan may lead to a very smoky roasting process.) Arrange the tomatoes in one layer and drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat the tomato halves on all sides. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes for 35-45 minutes, until they are softened and just beginning to char. If you plan to finish the salad later, place the tomatoes in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and cover it with plastic wrap. When the time comes, take the tomatoes out of the fridge about 45 minutes before you want to serve the salad, and continue with the recipe.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the vinegar. Place the tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture gently over the tomatoes. Salt generously with sea salt, and sprinkle with a bit of pepper. Toss the salad gently (use a silicon or rubber spatula if you have one).

Transfer the salad to plates and serve with additional sea salt and pepper at the table, because everyone's different.

Serves 2-3, depending on craving levels.

Comments

[Stormy Sands]

Meg, this looks incredible!

[Meg Blocker]

Aw, shucks! Thanks! Let me know if you give it a go...would love to hear what you think.