Saturday, July 3, 2010

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Stack

I love this recipe and can easily have this as a vegetarian dinner it is so good. It is from Cooking Light and has always been a favorite of mine since it came out several years ago.

Don’t use any tomato because once you taste an heirloom tomato you’ll not want to use any other kind in this salad.

Heirloom tomatoes come in all colors, shapes and sizes, and often have very distinctive flavors. The color of the skin relates to the fruit’s flavor.

For the most eye-catching presentation, choose orange, purple, green, and red heirloom tomatoes. I just had a red heirloom and it was still so striking to look at.

The dressing is also really satisfying so you may want to double the recipe as it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Bon Appetit!

Yield: 4 servings

DRESSING:

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Dash of ground red pepper

SALAD:

4 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 2 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup very thinly vertically sliced red onion

1 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1 small)

Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a small food processor or blender; process 30 seconds or until pureed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Cover and chill.

To prepare salad, slice each tomato crosswise into 4 equal slices (about 1/2 inch thick). Place 1 tomato slice on each of 4 salad plates; sprinkle slices evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top each serving with a few onion pieces and about 1 tablespoon avocado. Repeat layers 3 times, ending with avocado. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over each serving; sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.

Bon Appetit!