Description
Ina Garten’s heirloom tomato & blue cheese salad showcases garden-fresh ingredients with elegant simplicity. Fresh tomatoes and creamy blue cheese create a Mediterranean-inspired dish perfect for summer dining.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) Roquefort cheese, such as Société
- 2 lbs (907 g) heirloom tomatoes, cores removed
- 1 pint (473 ml) heirloom cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh basil leaves, torn or julienned
Instructions
- Tomato Preparation: Slice heirloom tomatoes into elegant rounds, arranging them artfully on a spacious serving platter, then halve cherry tomatoes and position them alongside the larger slices.
- Seasoning Stage: Sprinkle kosher salt across the tomato canvas, then splash red wine vinegar over the surface, allowing the mixture to rest for 5 minutes to intensify the natural tomato flavors.
- Cheese Elevation: Crumble Roquefort cheese generously over the tomatoes, creating pockets of creamy, tangy richness that complement the fresh produce.
- Herbal Accent: Tear fresh basil leaves into delicate fragments, dispersing them across the salad to introduce a vibrant, aromatic dimension.
- Final Flourish: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the entire composition, finishing with a subtle grind of black pepper to enhance the salad’s depth and complexity. Serve at room temperature to showcase the ingredients’ pure, unadulterated essence.
Notes
- Optimize Tomato Selection: Choose ripe, vibrant heirloom tomatoes at peak season for maximum flavor and sweetness.
- Maximize Flavor Infusion: Let salad rest for exactly 5 minutes after adding salt and vinegar to allow tomatoes to release natural juices and develop deeper taste profile.
- Cheese Temperature Matters: Remove Roquefort cheese from refrigerator 30 minutes before preparation to ensure optimal creamy texture and enhanced flavor distribution.
- Perfect Serving Technique: Serve at room temperature to highlight the delicate nuances of tomatoes and blue cheese, preventing muted flavors that occur when served too cold.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg