the mothership returns!
We were watching valentine warner’s “what to eat now” on bbc last night and the programme featured a tomato tasting which made B crave tomatoes. Since I was passing by marylebone high st today I thought I’d buy some toms from la fromagerie and make jamie’s lovely tomato salad with buffalo mozz again. It was just as good as the first time round, and this time I even remembered to get a shot of the salad…
The Mothership Tomato Salad
(adapted from Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie at Home’)
serves 4
1 kg mixed ripe tomatoes, different varieties and colours
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh basil, shredded (Jamie uses dried oregano in his recipe)
balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won’t be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chilli. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl, add the shredded basil and enough dressing to coat everything nicely. Season and serve with buffalo mozzarella (also drizzled with dressing) and toasted sourdough.
gourmet traveller 
Cheers!