This is another one of those recipes that my family has been making since before I was born. It is simple, quick to prepare and really highlights those fresh off the vine tomatoes. It is also great for using up small bunches of tomatoes as they ripen from that stash of green tomatoes laid out in your furnace room. I know you have an assortment of tomatoes spread on newspapers somewhere in your basement, just like I do at this time of year. It's a sad fact that our summers aren't long enough to ripen them all on the vine before serious frost hits. Fortunately, this means we get to work our way through slowly ripening garden tomatoes for a while longer, and use them in delicious side dishes like this!
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (this is the time to use the good stuff)
2 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
10 medium sized tomatoes, sliced 1/2" thick minimum (or equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes sliced in half), or as many as you will eat in one sitting
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a medium bowl with a tight fitting lid. Whisk to combine.
Add tomatoes, cover tightly with lid and give a good shake to ensure tomatoes are well coated in marinade.
Let sit on the counter for 1 hour to combine flavours. Serve.
Note: Tomatoes will get mushy if left too long in the marinade, so I like to make sure I only put as many in as will get eaten in one sitting. The marinade, however, can be saved to use again. Simply reapply the lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Remove from fridge about an hour before use to let olive oil go back to liquid form. Add new tomatoes and allow to marinate as you did previously. You can easily reuse the marinade 2-3 times before it gets too watered down with tomato juice.
This little guy is a tomato corer. It is one tool that will make your life easier, especially if you go through a lot of tomatoes like I do. It has sharp tines that easily cut through tomato skins, and with a quick twist of the wrist the core is out! They are super cheap (just under $3 at the time of writing at Lee Valley) and will save you loads of time and effort. You will thank me when you are coring pounds and pounds of tomatoes for sauce.
Recipe taken from "Betty Crocker's Dinners for Two" General Mills,1964, Golden Press, New York, USA ( called Tomatoes Vinaigrette in the book)