Green Tomato Salad

The last in our trio of green tomato recipes, this salad is a simple, quick and easy way to make the most of this seasonal crop. By preparing the green tomatoes half an hour to one day ahead of eating, we can draw out the astringency using a brine and turn the tomatoes into tasty little acidic gems. Paired with homemade chili oil, another crop that’s ready around this time of year, smoked salt and feta cheese, this salad is the perfect way to enjoy the last of this year’s fresh tomatoes.

If you’d like to check our other green tomato recipes, click here for our chutney recipe or here for our lacto fermented green tomatoes.

Note: If you plan to use a vegan feta, add a splash of lemon juice to the dressing to balance the saltiness. All vegan cheeses I’ve tried miss the mark with tang, something that lemon juice can help with.

If you happen to have a sweet tooth, or prefer to balance your acidic meals with a touch of sweetness, this recipe also works well with a drizzle of honey, bringing out the rose-like flavour of the cornflower petals. If you don’t happen to have these edible flowers, anything fragrant will fill the gap. Splash out on some toasted pine nuts, lightly crushed green coriander seeds, or fennel blossom. If flowers aren’t your thing, toast and crush some hazelnuts for a tasty bit of texture. Whatever you have at hand, you really can’t go wrong.

Green Tomato Salad
Light Lunch - Serves 2

• 700g-800g Tomatoes (at any stage of ripeness)

• 1 Chili pepper

• 80g Feta

• Fresh parsley

• 100ml Olive oil

• A pinch of smoked salt

• 1 Clove garlic, crushed

• A pinch of dried cornflower petals

Step 1.

Cut the under ripe tomatoes into 0.5cm thick slices and lay them in a tub or jar. Fill with enough cold water to cover them and add a big pinch of salt. Gently stir until dissolved, then set aside for half an hour minimum (or overnight in the fridge).

Prepare the quick chili oil around the same time and give it a while to infuse. Do this by charring the chili pepper in a dry frying pan or grill pan until all sides are blackened. Then add it and the garlic to a blender with a pinch of salt. If you don’t want it to be too hot, remove the seeds first. Blend until they’re completely broken up, then tip it into a container that can be refrigerated. Pour in the oil and stir with a spoon until everything is mixed together, then set aside to infuse until your tomatoes are ready.

* Note: If you plan to store the chili oil for longer than 3 days, add a splash of lemon juice to lower the acidity.

Step 2.

Drain your green tomatoes and rinse the salty brine from them. Slice up the rest of your ripe tomatoes and arrange both on two plates. Crumble the feta over the top and dress with the chili oil. I also added some fresh oil too, because I love the peppery, meadowy flavour. Chop up some fresh parsley and sprinkle it over with the cornflower petals (or nuts, as mentioned before). Finally, add a pinch of smoked sea salt to balance the bitterness and enjoy.