Chef Andrew Carmellini's buzzy SoHo institution, The Dutch, is best known for its well-stocked oyster bar, tasty pastas, fresh pies made daily and hot fried chicken with honey butter biscuits and slaw (don’t miss it in our NYC Ultimate Fried Chicken Guide).
During the summertime, executive chef Jason Hua serves a popular salad featuring tomatoes and peaches during the peak of their season.
RELATED: Ingredient Spotlight: Tomatoes
Hua’s heirloom tomato salad is served with cucumbers and basil in a peach vinaigrette, making it a great appetizer for all of your end-of-summer dining needs.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peach Vinaigrette
Courtesy of The Dutch, New York CityIngredients
For the Cucumbers:
1/2 Silver Slicer* cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 Adam Gherkin* cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Peach Vinaigrette:
1/4 peach, skin-on
2 teaspoons Moscatel vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 teaspoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon young ginger
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For Serving:
3 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing
Method
1. Prepare the cucumbers: Sprinkle the sliced cucumbers with the salt. Let sit in slotted pan in the refrigerator for one hour; drain the liquid.
2. Prepare the dressing: Blend all of the ingredients except the extra-virgin olive oil in a blender on high speed until only small red specks of peach skin remain. Turn the blender to low speed and drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Cool in a bowl over ice before transferring to the refrigerator for longer term storage. [Pro tip: When you blend olive oil on high speed, it releases bitter compounds inside the oil and changes the taste of your dressing.]
3. To serve: Arrange the tomato slices in a circle on a plate. Season with the sea salt and black pepper. Dress the drained cucumber slices with some of the peach vinaigrette and arrange on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes with the remaining peach vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh basil leaves to finish.
*Note: If you can’t find Silver Slicer or Adam Gherkin cucumbers, any other organic cucumbers will do.
Image by Gabbie Reade.
