Charred Grape Tomato Salad
I love Grape Tomatoes.
I’m not so fond of Cherry Tomatoes. Those suckers escape my fork and jump the plate more often than not. Plus they pop in your mouth. {{shudder}}
I also do not like tomatoes that aren’t in season and smell like cardboard. I’ll eat a roma tomato in a pinch, which is kind of funny, because it turns out they’re pretty closely related to Grape Tomatoes.
Nutrition highlights, according to SFGate,
Grape tomatoes are low in calories and carbs, and help you get a little more fiber and vitamins A and C in your diet… A 3-ounce portion of grape tomatoes, which is about five of the tiny tomatoes, has 15 calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, one serving of grape tomatoes meets less than 1 percent of your daily calorie needs. If you’re trying to cut down on your calorie intake to lose weight or maintain your weight loss, grape tomatoes make a flavorful addition to a reduced-calorie diet.
Grape tomatoes, like cherry and plum tomatoes, are rich in both vitamins A and C. A 3-ounce portion meets a little more than 20 percent of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C and over 50 percent of the DV for vitamin A. Most of the vitamin A in grape tomatoes comes from lycopene, which is the pigment in the tiny tomato responsible for its bright red color. In addition to adding color to your diet, lycopene also might protect against certain types of cancer and may help prevent macular degeneration.
As an antioxidant, the vitamin C in grape tomatoes may also protect against certain types of cancers. The water-soluble vitamin also gives your immune system a boost and helps your body make the skin- and muscle-supporting protein called collagen.
Not bad for such a little veggie. Er… fruit.
Get your cast iron skillet (affiliate link) screaming hot then add the olive oil. Once it starts shimmering, toss in the tomatoes. Wait.
GENTLY ADD THE GRAPE TOMATOES. Yeesh.
Let them sit, undisturbed for three or four minutes. Then you can shake shake shake the pan to move them around.
Look at those beauties. They get sweeter when they cook, and are a little more tender to the bite.
Meanwhile, make the dressing and slice the onion and celery. I used my fabulous mandoline (affiliate link) but a knife would work fine.
I love using the (surprisingly affordable) mandoline – I just wish I’d remember I had it.
Add the grape tomatoes to the dressing and veggies. Make sure to scrape in the oil – it’s got a fabulous tomato flavor now too.
These tomatoes make a fabulous meatless meal added to cooked pasta.
I’d double the recipe though!
Charred Grape Tomato Salad
Instructions
- Heat cast iron or heavy skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add olive oil. Once olive oil starts to shimmer and separate, add entire carton of grape tomatoes to pan, being careful to avoid splashing. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
- Don't touch skillet for a few minutes, allowing the tomatoes to sit and char lightly. Once they begin to char, shake skillet occasionally to move tomatoes around while they cook.
- Make dressing: combine vinegar, honey and spices in medium bowl. Add onion and celery and toss to coat. Include coarsely chopped celery leaves if available.
- When tomatoes reach desired tenderness, after about 6 minutes, toss into dressing with other vegetables. Don't forget to scrape the oil from the skillet into the bowl as well.
- Toss to coat and serve warm or cold.
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