Monday, July 7, 2008

To Die For Tomato Brie Salad


You say tomato, and I say tomato brie salad. I'm aware of the recent hullabaloo surrounding li'l red termaters, but sometimes you just gotta walk on the wild side. Especially when that walk lands you directly in Yumsville. It's a damn shame that we can't eat produce nowadays without fearing some sort of scary poisoning. A lot about the state of the world is pretty gut churning and depressing. So I say- just live your life, live it to the hilt. Enjoy what you love- suck out all it's juice as if it was a ripe tomato. You never really know when your number's up, so you might as well overdo it in the meantime. I love a great book, a great meal, good chocolate, good music, New York City, most fresh baked goods, my always entertaining family, a nice day in the country, a beautiful pair of shoes, my time in the kitchen, planning parties, paging through my glossy mags, and writing. This is my short list in no particular order.
This evening's offering is a celebration of some of life's great (and now, most dangerous) pleasures: ripe summer tomatoes, ripe creamy brie, and crisp greens. The bonus is that this is a dish that keeps on giving. Should there be any leftovers, place the brie, and herb and garlic marinated tomatoes between two slices of your most favorite bread- whip out the skillet, and voila! Another of life's great culinary pleasures- Grilled Cheese.

Brie & Tomato Salad
Cut 2 ripe tomatoes into 1/2" inch slices. Place tomato slices in a shallow dish or platter, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, a splash or two of red wine vinegar, 2 chopped basil leaves and a tsp. fresh oregano (use the fresh herbs you prefer). Let marinate for at least two hours.
Place lettuce greens on a large serving platter, lay out brie cut into bite sized slices between marinated tomato slices. Garnish with cured olives, if you wish. Serve with lightly toasted sliced crusty bread of choice.

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