Green Tomato and Toasted Pepitas Salad
I have tried, in vain, to grow these beautiful green tomatoes. I adore their color, texture and flavor, particularly the Green Zebra and Aunt Ruby varieties. Every year I plant some, convinced that I have finally mastered their cultivation, but alas, once again, they have eluded me. Fortunately, very talented local farmers grow them with enviable ease, and I snap them up when I see them at the market. This salad shows off these tomatoes in all their glory with the sautéed pepitas adding a lovely delicate, nutty flavor to the dish.
Be sure to use green tomato varieties in this salad, not tomatoes that are green because they are not ripe.
Green Tomato and Toasted Pepitas Salad
Ingredients
- 6-8 green Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced horizontally
- ¼ cup microgreens, assorted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup raw pepitas, (or raw sunflower seeds)
- 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 5-6 grinds black pepper
- 1 tablespoon basil olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, (fig balsamic if possible)
Instructions
- Cover the center of a large shallow platter with the sliced tomatoes, slightly overlapping the slices. Insert little bunches of microgreens around and in between the tomatoes.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet placed over medium heat. Add the pepitas and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until they just turn brown. Add the chives, salt and pepper, stir and then cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and immediately spoon the hot pepitas mixture on top of the tomatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the basil olive oil and vinegar. Pour the vinaigrette over the tomatoes and serve.
