This is the perfect salad to wow guests with. Serve it to them as a fresh lunch meal, or just treat yourself. Instead of just dicing tomatoes, I marinate them in this fabulous dressing and then place them on top of the salad. The secret is that the tomato salad on its own is quite something. So here are 2 salads in one!
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
Cos lettuce, shredded and mixed with Italian salad lettuce or Organic Baby Butter lettuce
10 baby potatoes with skin, boiled and then cut into quarters
4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
½ English cucumber, diced
2 tins tuna, drained
100g baby corn, blanched
100g fine, thin green beans, blanched
1-2 avocados, diced
pitted Kalamata olives
100g bottle capers (optional)
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 packet micro leaf herbs
Boil a pot of water with some salt. When boiling, blanch the beans whole for 4 minutes, then dry well and cut half. Blanch corn whole for 3 minutes, dry well and cut into pieces. (can be done day before). Place them immediately into ice water until they are cold and dry well. Then keep in the fridge in a tupperware.
Heat about ½ cup grapeseed oil in a small pot until smoky. Drain the capers and dry very well. Place small amounts in the hot oil for a few seconds until they burst open. Drain on paper towel. Continue until all the capers have been fried.
LEMON DRESSING
½ cup olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Colmans mustard powder
1 tbs honey
2 tbs dill
1 shallot or ½ small red onion
salt and pepper
Blend with stick blender. Set aside for drizzling over the salad.
MARINATED TOMATO SALAD
600g mixed coloured tomatoes
¼ red onion
handful basil
Halve or slice the tomatoes, finely grate the red onion on the julienne blade of the mandoline and chop the basil. Toss everything in a bowl with the dressing to coat. Set aside. Leave to marinate for about ½ an hour.
DRESSING
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbs white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Whisk together and pour over tomatoes.
TO SERVE: Arrange everything in rows on a platter with the tomatoes in the centre row. Drizzle with dressing. Top with the micro leaves and sprinkle with the capers.
Serves 6
