Tomato Salads

Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta

Earlier in the week, I wrote about all the great things I picked up over the weekend at my local farmers' markets.  I sincerely hope you guys go out and explore the markets in your area as well.  The quality of produce available at these markets will blow your mind.  Of particular note, in my opnion, are the fresh tomatoes.

Along with peaches, tomatoes have been a victim of giant agri-business.  The fact is you simply cannot sell a vine-ripened tomato in a chain grocery store.  They are far too perishable and don't travel well.  As a result, giant farms pick millions of tomatoes while they are still hard, green balls and gas them with ethylene to ripen them off the vine.  Here is a handy guide.  Artificial ripening, coupled with genetic selection for roundness, bruise tolerance, shelf life and perfectly uniform color, has resulted in nearly inedible fruit.

On the other side of the spectrum from the mass produced, hunk of crap tomato, we have beauties like the ones in the salad at the top of this post.  They're sweet, juicy, and sublime.  To my palate, a superbly constructed tomato salad, prepared with respect for the ingredients, is transcendent.  

Read on for a couple of really simple salads that, I hope, can bring you closer to nirvana.

Recipe - Quick Salmon Stir Fry with Baby Choy

Today's entry is a quick and easy stir fry, ideal for a mid-week dinner.  Stir-frying is a great technique for producing a healthy, tasty meal in a hurry.  This entire dish can be done in the time it takes to make the rice.

I was inspired this time by a sale on sockeye salmon at my local market.  There must have been a massive salmon season this year because they're practically giving it away.  I can't pass up a good deal and have been cooking salmon at least once a week all summer.  We do cedar plank salmon with a maple-brown sugar glaze, salmon tacos, etc.  In this dish, we are going to dust the salmon in tapioca starch and quickly fry it to keep it crisp and moist, without being greasy.  Read on for the details.