Salad Days ~ Tomatoes with Anchovies and Basil

Hi Food lovers!!

 

How are you all?

 

On a hot summers day like today, relaxing by the pool is such a blessing...

 

A cold beer and I felt like a tomato salad!

 

 

I extracted this recipe from the owner of an Italian restaurant. The price I had to pay was quite a number of strawberry daiquiris, before he would part with it!!! I gladly suffered the consequences and am happy to share it with you... If you feel you have to have a strawberry daiquiri to repay me, feel free before you continue...

 

 

*Klink*

 

 

 

Now, before we start... you have to go buy the tomatoes!

Please dear ones, those pink anaemic affairs are not tomatoes, leave them on the shelf and look for luscious red and ripe ones or better still, pick them of the bush that you have planted!

 

 

Please, for the love of your taste buds, do not store them in the fridge!!!

 

A cool place will do. If they are ripe, put them in a bowl they look luscious in the kitchen...

 

 

 

 

Tomatoes with Anchovies and Basil

 

 

Ripe Tomatoes

 1 teaspoon White Sugar

8 Anchovies in Olive Oil finely chopped

Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Basil

Black Olives

Freshly Ground Black Pepper (optional)

 

 

Place a teaspoon of sugar in a pestle and mortar, add about 50 ml of the oil from the anchovy jar, the balsamic vinegar and the chopped anchovies. Pound until well blended. 

I used cocktail tomatoes here but prefer Bella Tomatoes. I simply cut them in half, but if you are using large tomatoes, slice them as thickly as you prefer.

 

 



 

Lounging in the windowsill, patiently waiting to be planted is the basil and bloody sorrel! Oi! Tomorrow, I promise!!!

 

Drizzle the dressing over the cut tomatoes

 

 

 

Garnish with fresh basil.

 

 

I had some baguette leftover, which I brushed with some smoked olive oil and popped into the toaster (it was much to hot to fire up the oven, and add to the heat in the kitchen!)

 

If you have not  yet discovered the pleasure of Aphrodisiac Shack Smoked Olive Oil, you are missing out!!

 

If you can not find it, drop me a line and I will point you in the right direction

 

ronnieclark@mweb.co.za

We stood in our bathers around the counter with a beer and tucked in, before the olives even landed in the bowl!!

 

 

The best way....

 

Dipping the toasted baguette into the dressing, adding a tomato and popping an olive in the mouth....

Caught out!!! Hand in the bowl...

 

 

Bon Appetite

 

Veronica

 

xxx

 

Pleasurable sighs may be left in the comment box below...