Le Jardin Summer Salads
Two simple salads inspired by summer gardens and peak farmers markets.
Besides the vinaigrette, these recipes are meant as more of a guideline rather than a measured out recipe. Season, taste, and trust your instincts.
But before you start slicing tomatoes, make yourself a tomato martini. It’s called mise en place.
Watermelon and Espelette Vinaigrette
makes about 1 cup of vinaigrette
Chef Ryan cook makes this bright vinaigrette with a hint of spice that draws out the sweetness of watermelon.
shopping list —
1 cup cubed watermelon
1 whole shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp espelette
kosher salt to taste
equipment —
blender or immersion blender
small sauce pot
steps —
Place cubed watermelon in a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into a small saucepan and reduce by half.
Pour back into the blender with the shallot, white wine vinegar, and espelette. Turn the blender on medium, and add in the neutral oil. Season with salt. (You can serve this vinaigrette broken.
Watermelon Salad with Mint & Shallot
serves 4
shopping list —
4-6 cups cubed watermelon (about 2-3 pounds)
1 shallot
handful of freshly picked mint leaves
espelette vinaigrette (above)
equipment —
mandoline or sharp knife
platter
steps —
Cube the watermelon into 2x2” pieces.
*If you happen to have a vacuum sealer, place the cubes of watermelon in a vac bag and pressurize seal. They’ll turn almost translucent and suck in all their juices.
Slice the shallot thinly into rings using a mandoline or sharp knife.
*Chef tip: soak the shallot rings in ice water for 5-10 minutes to remove a little of the sharpness. Drain and dry off on a paper towel before plating.
*Another chef tip: Slice the watermelon first before slicing the shallot so your watermelon doesn’t taste like alliums:)
Arrange the watermelon on a platter. Garnish with the shallot rings.
Generously spoon the espelette vinaigrette over the watermelon and shallots. Garnish with the fresh mint.
Tomato Salad with Sourdough & Basil
serves 4
I like to season my tomatoes with salt, sugar, acid, and olive oil way before serving (even up to an hour) and keep them at room temperature. At some point, they do begin to break down because of the sugar and salt, but I find they really absorb so much of the flavor. It also eliminates one extra step of making a vinaigrette separately.
shopping list —
4-8 heirloom tomatoes, depending on the size
basil
sourdough bread
sherry or red wine vinegar
good quality finishing extra virgin olive oil
salt
sugar
optional — use the tomato water from this recipe as your vinaigrette (just add olive oil to finish)
equipment —
mixing bowl to toss the croutons
platter
steps —
Slice the tomatoes into eighths (depending on the size of the tomato). Arrange on a platter.
*Tip: I like to use different colors and sizes of tomatoes for a visually appealing platter:) If using cherry tomatoes, just halve them.
Slice the sourdough bread into nice sized croutons. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and salt, and toast in a 350ºF oven for 5-10 minutes, or until just toasted but with a chewy center. Allow to cool.
About 20-30 minutes before serving, genourously season the tomatoes with salt, sugar, sherry or red wine vinegar, and good quality olive oil. If using the tomato water, pour a generous amount over the tomatoes and still season with salt, sugar, and olive oil. A little extra punch of vinegar also never hurts:)
*Adding sugar to tomatoes not only brings out their natural sweetness but also balances the acidity.
About 10 minutes before serving, toss in the sourdough croutons so they can absorb some of the make-shift vinaigrette. Taste a tomato and add more salt, sugar, vinegar, or olive oil if needed.
Garnish with basil and serve.
Questions about these recipes? Email britt@parisdiningclub.com