Sunday, March 22, 2009

Insane Marinated Tomato and Roasted Garlic Salad

Friday I was seriously insane obsessive. Three a.m. Oreo cookies. Not really one of my finer hours. I found myself wondering why I couldn't obsess about lettuce. I think I have found my new choice...Organic Tomato Farming AKA Tomato Bliss... After a week of Tomato Bliss...I can now blog about the Tomato salad I adore. I'm ready to make a commitment. I think the reason for my new undying devotion is clear. It's loaded with roasted garlic. Maybe too much garlic. Yea, I would probably walk around with roasted garlic cloves up my nose if I thought I could get away with any ounce of respect from my colleagues. They are so very vocal about my total lack of professionalism as it is. Pfhhhh.

Despite that obvious social hiccup... I think this garlic behavior may be a safer choice than Oreos on a Stick... in the professional baker's world. Why is that? I guess because the cookie isn't really fresh baked. Sadly, tomato still doesn't taste like a greasy chocolate love bomb. However, for something savory, it is really transcendent in beauty. I love roasted garlic and tomatoes together. It's classic. However, if you don't brush your teeth before bed, don't blame me for the yellowing of the paint on your ceiling from your breath. It seems that garlic is still deeply linked to halitosis...like Google for bad breath. Who knew? At any rate, here is the recipe.

Marinated Tomato and Roasted Garlic Salad
2 bulbs of roasted garlic...that's like 16 cloves. I mash them a little bit too.
1 lb cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I highly recommend some of Jim's Organic Tomato Farming gems)
1 cup fresh frozen green beans
1/4 cup strong olives (like green olives)
1T capers

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup dark buckwheat honey, 1/4 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the lay person) 2T fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, and kosher salt to taste.

Whisk together. Then add the remaining ingredients.

Remarkably perfect with a large manly steak and wedge of good crusty French bread...


There you go.

Hurry and suck up that fish juice so we can have tomatoes you little slacker tomato plants!

Mmmm. Fish juice...

I'm really getting impatient.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The visual of you with roasted galic in your nose...tooooo funny!

Anonymous said...

Okay, my ignorance shows through, but how do you roast garlic? And then did you cut it up because I can't see it in the picture. I'm dying to know. -- Shae

Chef Tess said...

Shae, my girl! Oh how I love you!! Roasted garlic tutorial will be coming soon I think. Just cut the tops off, as shown in the picture and then rub with a little olive oil. Put cut side down on a sheet pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until soft. When cooled, use a fork to pull the soft cloves out of the bulb. I mash them with a fork a little. You are right I had not added the garlic yet in the picture. I think it was still up my sniffer. LOL.