Marinated Tomato Salad
Ingredients
1 large heirloom tomato
1 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
5 Persian cucumbers
1/2 cup red onion (about a quarter of the onion)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 cup feta (crumbled)
2 tsp salt + more to taste
Chili flakes & pepper (to taste)
Method
Place the garlic in a small pot and cover with cold water. Place the pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Discard the boiling water and repeat with cold water twice more. This blanching process will tone down the garlic's potency. After the third blanch, peel and microplane or mince the garlic, then set it aside for the marinade.
In a medium-sized serving bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, oregano, red wine vinegar, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well. Slice the heirloom tomato into a medium-small dice. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Add all the tomatoes to the bowl with the dressing/marinade. Gently toss to ensure all the tomatoes are coated and let sit for 20 minutes.
Using a mandolin or knife, thinly slice the red onion and place it in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse the onion under cold water for 2 minutes to remove some of its bite. Smash the cucumbers to release some water, then slice on the bias. Add both the onion and cucumber to the bowl with the tomatoes and gently toss.
To finish, sprinkle the feta over the salad and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away and enjoy!
NotesFor this salad, I like to make it before anything else so that it has time to marinate. However, I do not recommend making it too far in advance as you don’t want to store it in the refrigerator. When tomatoes are stored in the fridge, they lose a lot of their flavor, which takes away a major part of why this salad is so good.
Season as you like and taste as you go. You are the one eating this, so adjust the spice level to your preference. There are many factors you can change to make it your own.