Salad of Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Chilli, Garlic and Caper Dressing
with Char-Grilled Sourdough

As the days get longer and the nights warmer we search for lighter suppers. This dish has a Mediterranean style dressing and the sourdough is perfect to mop up all the juices and any flavour left in the bowl. The dressing can be used for many dishes but I particularly enjoy it with some freshly sliced Isle of Wight tomatoes.

Ingredients (serves 2)
400g Mixed Heritage Isle of Wight Tomatoes
4 Slices of Sourdough
½ Small Red Onion (finely sliced)
100ml Good Olive Oil
10g Garlic (finely sliced)
10g Red Chilli (seeds removed, finely sliced)
25g Fine Capers
25g Anchovies (chopped)
1 tsp Sherry Vinegar
1 tbsp Chopped tarragon
1 tbsp Anchovy Oil
Salt and Pepper

Note: The temperature of this dish is an important factor. It needs to be at room temperature to allow all the ingredients and flavours to sing. The tomatoes must be ripe and not refrigerated. What really brings these tomatoes to life is the dressing. I prefer to use early harvest Arbequina extra virgin olive oil, this oil has peppery, grassy almond notes. The sherry vinegar is another star of the show and I prefer organic Finca la Torre Pedro Ximenez vinegar which has a wonderful natural sweetness and brings a great balance to the dressing. Once the dressing is made do not refrigerate. (You can use whatever olive oil and vinegar you have and still get a delicious result.) Should you be vegetarian you can omit the anchovies.

Before you start:
This is a super quick dish and will take no longer than ten minutes. Have a grill pan ready and ensure it is nice and hot for the sourdough.

Dressing
Place a small size pan on the stove over a low heat. Add a third of the olive oil, garlic, chilli and pinch of salt, fry for two minutes until aromatic and the smell of the garlic is prominent. Remove from the heat and then add the sherry vinegar, capers, anchovies, anchovy oil and tarragon. Stir well, adjust the seasoning and then add the remaining olive oil. Place in a bowl and reserve until serving.

To serve:
Slice the tomatoes and scatter with the red onion, season with salt and pepper. Grill the sourdough until slightly charred and keep in a warm place. Place the sliced tomatoes and onions in your serving dish and spoon over the dressing ensuring all the tomatoes become covered. Place in the middle of the table along with the grilled sourdough. Enjoy!!

The wonderful Isle of Wight tomatoes can be sourced from our friends at Oui Chef who are doing home deliveries.

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