Plum Tomato Salad
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
Given the infinite aromatic and delicious combinations of foods that are yet to be discovered, cooking can seldom get boring. All one needs is a sense of imagination and a willingness to try something nobody else has – I, fortunately have always had that in spades. It has also landed me with food that I never want to make or eat again but I shrug that off as part of the journey. Last weekend, about to leave town for a long trip, I was staring down into my fridge, where lay 2 perfect tomatoes from Lightsey Farms and a few black plums I had picked up at the grocery store. Houston Dairymaids, the wonderful cheese shop out on the east side had sent us a big tub of Pure Luck chèvre, a bit of which was sitting in my refrigerator.
My little grandson Lion was about to come over and I needed something to feed him. I turned it all into a salad with a quick goat cheese and yogurt spread and there, a new dish was born! Lion, despite barely having any teeth, lapped it up with great enthusiasm. The texture of the tomato and plum is similar which made it fun to eat as they were indistinguishable until well into the first bite. A more adult version of that salad included toasted whole buckwheat, which gives it a lovely crunch. You could use toasted nuts instead or just leave it out entirely. But don’t forget to go buy those tomatoes at the Urban Harvest farmer’s market – they actually taste like tomatoes!