Food & Wine (August 2015)
Never fear, Bittens! We're still here.
We've just been away on vacation in Cape Cod for the past few weeks.
Here's our vacation by the numbers:
- Beach bonfire with friends: 1
- Run-ins with Bitten Word readers who said hi: 2
- Jars of peanut butter: 2
- Bags of Cape Cod chips: 4
- Novels read: 4
- Lobster rolls eaten: 8
- Issues of the New Yorker read (finally): 12
- Days on the beach: 13
- Oysters: 24
- Spf: 30
- Seals spotted: >50
- Head clearance of the house we stayed in: 5' 10"
- Glasses of rosé consumed: Innumerable
It was a decadent, hilarious, fun-filled few weeks with friends.
But now we're back. Back to sanity. Back to the gym. Back to healthy(ish) eating. Back to (thankfully) more summer.
After a big few weeks, it's time to get back in touch with our good old friend Salad.
And we turned to this Charred Tomato Vinaigrette to help reintroduce us.
We love a tomato vinaigrette. It's one of our go-to items when we have tomatoes that are about to pass on to the next world and need to be consumed. Typically, we just pulse the tomatoes in the food processor. Here, the tomatoes are lightly charred. We did ours on the grill, but the same can be accomplished indoors on a grill pan.
Other than charring the tomatoes, this recipe is about as simple as it gets. Most of the vinaigrette comes together in the food processor. Herbs are stirred in afterwards (we opted for basil because we came home to huge basil bushes in our garden).
We ate this vinaigrette on a simple mix of Asian greens, with chopped cherry tomatoes added in. It's flavorful with a bit of a sharp edge and we loved every bite.
We can't say we don't miss vacation. But we are glad to be back in the kitchen, and we're ready to make the most of what's left of summer.
What's still left on your summer cooking bucket list? Let's get to checking those dishes off!
Charred Tomato Vinaigrette
Food & Wine (August 2015), recipe by Jennifer Toomey
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(This photo: Nicole Franzen for Food & Wine)
NOTES FROM ZACH AND CLAY:
Don't be afraid to let your tomatoes really char. More char will equal more flavor here.
Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 1 1/4 cups
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cilantro or basil
Kosher salt
Pepper
METHOD
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Grill, turning, until blistered and lightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine the grilled tomatoes with the vinegar, lemon juice and mustard and pulse to blend. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
MAKE AHEAD
The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for 2 days.
