Herbed goat cheese and heirloom tomato salad

Remember those heirloom tomatoes I wrote about a few days ago? They completely lived up to their heirloom expectations- they were flavorful, fresh, and juicy. I used them on some homemade pizzas, in several batches of salsa, and in a delicious herbed goat cheese and tomato salad. I got the idea for the salad from my friend Jennifer who described a similar dish she ate at Chez Papa in San Francisco. I haven’t tried it myself, so I don’t know if my creation is similar to the dish from the restaurant, but it was extremely simple to make, and delicious. Even Trevor, who’s not the biggest tomato fan, was savoring each bite.

Here’s what you need:

2 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes

1/2 c. soft goat cheese

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used chives and basil)

a pinch of sea salt

Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each tomato, so that the finished product will have a flat surface to sit on. Carefully slice the tomatoes so that they can be stacked back up into tomato form. In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, herbs and olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Spoon a thin layer of goat cheese mixture between each slice of tomato as you stack them back up. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy.

Gems of the farmer’s market

I always look forward to Fridays. Not necessarily because the next day is Saturday (although that does help), but mostly because of the San Pedro Square farmer’s market in downtown San Jose. It’s beautiful, cheaper than other farmer’s markets I frequent and it’s walking distance from my apartment! What more could I ask for?

Farmer’s markets are my weakness. My husband will confirm that farmer’s markets are to me like candy stores to a small child. Or like REI to him. It’s kind of an addiction, really. I can relate to another food blogger who admits to being a “food shopaholic.” At least I’m admitting the problem, right? And because I hate the idea of wasted food, it always gets eaten. So there’s actually no problem. Okay, maybe I reneged on my admission.

Today I stopped by one of my favorite sellers at San Pedro Square and he had a table full of huge, beautiful heirloom tomatoes. For $2.50 per pound! I couldn’t resist and bought 5 of them. Now I’m sitting hear day dreaming about what I’ll do with my loot. Maybe I’ll just put them on my bedside table and look at them when I fall asleep at night, like Zuzu and her flower from It’s a Wonderful Life. Or maybe I’ll make a beautiful tomato, herb and mozzarella salad with them. Decisions, decisions…