In honor of national salad month, it’s time to try out a new favorite recipe of ours: Tomato Salad with Tarragon Pesto & Pumpernickel Croutons. This salad gives you the chance to try out some new tomato varieties. The more the better! The sweeter the better!
Ingredients
- 2lbs Cimelio heirloom tomatoes, or sweet & flavorful alternatives, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 cups cubed pumpernickel bread
- 1 ½ cups fresh tarragon
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, or alternative
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 6 cups watercress
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F
- Combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of oil, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, toss bread with 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned on the edges, 8-10 minutes.
- Combine tarragon, basil, parmesan, hazelnuts, garlic and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil and pulse until just combined, with a rough texture.
- Gently stir the pesto and croutons into the tomatoes. Serve the tomato salad with watercress.