Tomato Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese & Basil
I found this recipe last year in the August 2010 Food & Wine Magazine. Other than the delicious combination of plain tomatoes and basil at the height of the summer, this tomato salad might be the best I’ve ever had. It’s easy to prepare, vibrantly colorful and seriously… how could farm tomatoes, crisp bacon, blue cheese and fresh basil not be amazing! The dressing has herbes de Provence; traditionally a combination of dried herbs from Provence including thyme, basil, savory, fennel seeds and lavender flowers. If you can’t find them at your grocery store, they carry them at Williams-Sonoma in a cute little ceramic tub for $18.00.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)
- 1/4 pound bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence
- Kosher salt & pepper
- 3 pounds tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on a paper towel and crumble. Combine the olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard and herbes de Provence in a small bowl.
Arrange tomatoes on a platter, season lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the vinaigrette. Sprinkle over the crumbled bacon and blue cheese, toss in the torn basil. Serve.
4plates2table 