Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad

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Tomato season is here; if you’re looking to put the bounty to good use (alongside a slew of hot-off-the grill treats), chef Jessica Biederman has a superb summer salad that’s fresh and simple. She uses a combination of tomatoes (heirloom, kumato and cherry) for a variety of both tastes and sizes, and takes the classic recipe up a notch with the addition of a creamy and herb-heavy green goddess dressing. Let the corn, avocado and tomatoes sit with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a few minutes before plating to allow the flavors to marry, and serve with your favorite loaf of crusty bread.

Ingredients

for the salad
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
  • 1/2 pound kumato tomatoes
  • 1 pint red/yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • Green goddess dressing (recipe below)
  • 8 ounces burrata (two 4 ounce pieces)
  • 2 sprigs of basil, torn
  • Salt and pepper to taste
for the green goddess dressing
  • 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
  • 1/4 bunch chive
  • 1/2 bunch tarragon
  • 2 ounces chervil
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/8 cup tarragon vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 3 cups mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. To make the green goddess dressing, blanch, shock and press water from the herbs (flat leaf parsley, chive, tarragon and chervil). In a blender, blend blanched herbs with avocado, tarragon vinegar and garlic cloves.
  2. Remove from blender and fold in sour cream and mayonnaise. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground black pepper to your preference. Set aside.
  3. Grill corn and remove from cob. Slice and cut tomatoes into different shapes to your liking. Cut avocado in 1/2 inch pieces.
  4. In a small bowl, toss grilled corn, tomatoes and avocado with 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.
  5. With the green goddess dressing in a squeeze bottle, dot plate with as much as desired. Place tomatoes on top of goddess dots. Leave a whole in the center for burrata. Place burrata in the reserved plate space.
  6. Garnish with basil. (Chef's note: for texture, we use crispy hominy — the store sells them as corn nuts.)

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