Big Tomato Sweet-Sour Salad
(from BeSu’s recipe box)
Straight from 19th-century American cookbooks, these big chunks of ripe beefsteak and green tomatoes get bathed in a warm, garlicky, sweet-sour dressing. They stand on their own, top greens, or make a good potato-tomato salad. Bacon fat was favored 150 years ago; olive oil works well today. Out of season, this recipe still works with supermarket tomatoes on the vine.
Cook to Cook: Dressing can be prepared several hours ahead up to the point of adding the vinegar. The oil should be warm, but not hot, when the vinegar goes in.
Source: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/light_bigtomato.shtml
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 medium green tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Salt
- black pepper
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into long strips
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup cider vinegar, boiled down by half
- 1/3 cup dill leaves, coarsely chopped, fresh
Directions
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Gently combine tomatoes in a large bowl. Heat fat or oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and a little salt and pepper. Sauté about a minute, or until garlic is softened, but not browned. Stir in onion and cook another minute, just to soften slightly. Off the heat, stir in sugar until melted.
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When ready to serve, warm the onion mixture (it should not be hot). Off the heat, stir in the boiled down vinegar and any liquid from the tomatoes; taste for seasoning. Pour over tomatoes, folding in the dill. Serve immediately or at room temperature.