Local Match Tomatoes with green beans, Balsamic Glaze, basil, extra virgin olive oil and Fleur de Sel.
 

Ingredients: 

            4 lbs. of tomatoes “match variety March Farms”, cored, top and bottom slices removed. (Roughly four large tomatoes)

Small bunch of basil leaves, cut in chiffonade (thin strips)

            3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

            2 tablespoons balsamic glaze

            12 oz. Haricots Verts, stemmed

            Fleur de Sel, freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Balsamic Glaze:

            1 Cup of high quality balsamic vinegar

            ¼ Cup of sugar in the raw

 

To prepare Glaze:

            Place the sugar and vinegar in a small stainless steel pot, over a low heat.  Reduce slowly for 20 minutes, or until reduced by half.  Do not rush this process.  Allow to cool, and place into a small “squirt” bottle.

 

To cook and prepare Haricots Verts:

            Blanch green beans in a pot of boiling salted water, until the al dente stage, 3 minutes or so.  Then shock in ice water to preserve the green color and stop the cooking.  Drain until dry.   Cut into one and a half inch pieces. Toss the green beans with the olive oil and season with Fleur de Sel, and freshly ground pepper.

 Tomatoes:

            Cut each tomato into approximately three ½ inch slices or so. Season with Fleur de Sel, and rub lightly into the tomatoes. 

 

To Assemble the Salad:

            Place three slices of tomato overlapping on large plates.  Drizzle with a little balsamic glaze.  Place a mound of the dressed Haricots Verts on the seasoned tomatoes.  Sprinkle with a little of the basil chiffonade.  Place a crown of basil on top of each salad.

 

At West Street Grill, we anticipate the tomato season with great expectations.  Fortunately for us, March Farms in Bethlehem CT, have been growing tomatoes for decades.  They produce a full flavored tomato with a thin skin that is moist and juicy.  These tomatoes are grown naturally, under domes, and are the first local tomatoes available to us.  Our Chef James Cosgriff, featured this month in Connecticut Magazine, simply cannot get enough of this product, for salads, sauces, soups, pastas, and other uses.   Enjoy this quick and easy summer salad.

 

It really is worth the visit to March Farms in Bethlehem, to view their website: http://www.marchfarms.com/