Tomatoes aren’t fully in season in France until July, but that can extend from June into September if the weather stays warm.
An Easy Starter Recipe for a Summer Meal:
Simple French meals often begin with a light Starter dish made of raw vegetables, especially in the warmer summer months.
I think beginning your meal with a light raw vegetable dish, separate from the main course, is one way the French stay slim and yet enjoy such great food. Starting with a raw vegetable slows you down and helps you feel full and satisfied at the end of the meal. You won’t tend to eat as quickly if you don’t pile all your food onto one plate.
The recipe below is one I learned from a 3 star Michelin French chef during an interview. However, I haven’t found it in a recipe book anywhere. Luckily, I’d quickly written it down at the time (on the back of an envelope!) and still use it today as a go-to easy Starter in summer.
This simple tomato salad has only 2 ingredients. The vinaigrette requires only 3 ingredients (plus salt & pepper).
You can read about two of the vinaigrette’s ingredients in a detailed post about my French Pantry Checklist. You’ll find the ingredients will help you add a French twist to basic recipes that will easily up-level your home cooking.
If you haven’t downloaded the Checklist yet, please do! Download the French Pantry Checklist here.
Recipe: Tomato and Mint Salad with Raspberry Vanilla Vinaigrette
Watch as I make this recipe from start to finish on my IGTV channel (@nancyconwayparis).
Ingredients for 4:
- 4 Tomatoes (Roma, Heirloom or another varietal for salads)
- 4 Branches of fresh mint (enough for 4-5 leaves per person)
- Vinaigrette:
- 6 TB of Olive Oil
- 3 TB of Red Wine Raspberry Vinegar
- 1/8 tsp of Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
I serve this as a plated Starter course, not tossed in a salad bowl. You can also serve the vinaigrette separately, letting each person add the amount they prefer.
Instructions:
-Prepare 4 Starter plates for serving
-Rinse and slice tomatoes in half then in thin quarters so as to be able to arrange later in a fan-like circle on each plate
-Start with the vinaigrette: place 3 TB of Red Wine Raspberry Vinaigrette in a small mixing bowl
-Stir in the vanilla extract or powder until well mixed
-Whisk in the olive oil
-Add salt & pepper to taste
Presentation:
-Place about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette in each Starter plate and spread around the plate with the back of a spoon.
-Arrange tomato slices splayed in a fan-like circle on each plate on top of the vinaigrette
-Sprinkle each plate with chopped fresh mint leaves (about 5 leaves per person) and serve
The French chef who spoke of this easy tomato salad recipe also added black olive paste or “tapenade
Find the ingredients for this recipe from French brands on Amazon:
French olive oil:
Castelines Classic AOP Vallee des Baux de Provence Olive Oil
Le Chateau d’Estoublon Organic AOP Olive Oil from Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur, France
French Raspberry Vinegar:
Raspberry Vinegar from Fallot France
Vanilla Extract from Tahiti, France
Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract
Two Books on Tomatoes found on Amazon:
1.For a beautiful book (in French) on heirloom tomatoes cultivated by a French Prince, Prince Louis-Albert de Broglie, see:
Les Tomates du Prince Jardinier
2.To add new tomato recipes to your repertoire see:
Tomato: 80 Recipes Celebrating the Extraordinary Tomato
Conclusion:
This is a wonderful mixture of flavors that will wow your friends and family. It’ll also save you from the boredom that comes with making the same old recipes on repeat.
The vanilla in the vinaigrette adds a mysterious flavor twist to the tomatoes without being overwhelming. (see my Carrot Salad Recipe for another version of a vanilla vinaigrette)
Whenever I serve this to friends for the first time, I like to ask them to tell me the ingredients in the vinaigrette. While some have noticed the raspberry vinegar, they haven’t as yet guessed the presence of vanilla.
So no one will ask “Why is there vanilla in my tomato salad?”
And now you: Do you have some easy salad recipes with unusual ingredients in them? Leave a comment below and let me know!
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Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com