28
Escarpment Magazine Fall 2012
escarpment
EPICURE
falling in love with heirlooms
Tuscan Bread and HeirloomTomato Salad
About 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cubed
3
cups bread cubes
1
cup pitted kalamata olives or
½
cup Niçoise olives
½
cup sliced pepperoncini
1
⁄
3
cup crumbled feta cheese
¼
cup julienned fresh basil leaves
1
⁄
3
cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
3
tablespoons red wine vinegar
1
tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the tomatoes, bread cubes,
olives, pepperoncini, feta cheese, and
basil leaves in a large salad or mixing
bowl. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar,
garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Pour
over the tomato mixture, tossing to com-
bine. Set aside for 15 minutes so the bread
can absorb the dressing before serving.
|E|
The most widely
accepted
definition of what constitutes
an Heirloom is that it is open-
pollinated and was originally
grown in an earlier era. Heir-
looms are plants that have
been around for generations,
handed down from gardener
to gardener. Some heirlooms
are hundreds of years old,
and others originated around
the turn of the 20
th
century.
These are tomatoes that peo-
ple have fallen in love with,
and have deemed worth
keeping. The rich tapestry of
colours, the diversity and
depth of flavor, and the gen-
eral beauty of these tomatoes
provide an experience to be
savoured.
Growing heirlooms is a frugal
way to have a bountiful gar-
den. Each season, you can
grow the crop, harvest the
food, save the seeds, and
store them to grow next
year's garden.