One of the things that I look forward to most in summer is the fresh heirloom tomatoes that come into season. The dish pictured above was one that I did on a recent tasting menu. The dish was labeled “Simply Heirlooms,” because when it comes to great quality tomatoes, sometimes less is more. In this dish, I really wanted to go with some classic flavors and let the beautiful tomatoes speak for themselves.
The heirloom salad was composed of Early Girl (orange), Brandy Wine Yellow (yellow), and Brandy Wine (red). They were sliced about one inch thick, and then cored with a ring mold to make them all the same size. This allowed them to be easily stacked in a “napoleon” style.
It was topped with some goat cheese mousse that was simply made by mixing together goat cheese, honey and fleur de sel with the paddle attachment on a kitchen aid mixer. To make the mousse, start by adding the goat cheese into your kitchen aid and start beating with the paddle attachment. Stream in enough honey until the goat cheese becomes smooth but is not runny. Finish by seasoning with a good french sea salt (fleur de sel).
The little “swooshes” on each side of the plate are a Brandy Wine Yellow Tomato Vierge. The green base upon which the tomatoes were stacked is a green basil emulsion. The tomato stack (napoleon) is garnished with a basil leaf that was fried in the microwave, (yes, the microwave).
Further Reading
- A Cheaters Guide To Green Emulsions
- How To Fry Herb Leafs In The Microwave
- Vierge: The French Version of Salsa
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome! About time someone did something a LITTLE different than what you see on every menu in NJ this time of year which is just a “Heirloom Tomato Salad” period.
I love me some Jersey Heirlooms, had a few last week and some buffala mozzarella and made a simple caprese salad that was the best I’ve ever eaten. I used to not be a tomato guy, but it’s amazing the difference a GOOD tomato over a store bought fake red tomato.
Just found your podcast, and really dig it so far.
P.S. Goat cheese makes everything better.
The heirloom tomato is such a spectacular fruit, that it would be a culinary sin to not let it speak for itself. And yes, everything is better with goat cheese! Thanks for your kind words.
Absolutely beautiful dish, a real work of art! I particularly like the masterful way in which the color tonality or brightness or saturation is the same in the emulsion and the swooshes–as if they both came from the same line of paint. Wow!
Goat cheese DOES make everything better!
@ Clematis,
Thanks, I really enjoy the presentation as well…it’s sort of a metaphor of how colorful heirloom produce can be at certain times of the year.