Fall Tomatoes with Spicy Yogurt, Za’atar, and Chickpea Lemon Vinaigrette
From “A Tomato Hall of Fame” in our Fall 2024 issue.
Read the whole story here.
Fall Tomatoes with Spicy Yogurt, Za’atar, and Chickpea Lemon Vinaigrette
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
In 2005, Chef Anthony Paone had just begun cheffing at Berkeley’s Sea Salt restaurant when Fred Hempel showed up at the door.
“He just walked in, introduced himself, and said ‘I have all this cool stuff. You want to buy some?’” says Paone. “For a chef, that’s like a dream. He was very excited about his product, and that was contagious.”
When Hempel started growing the traditional Levantine herb za’atar (Origanum syriacum), Paone blended it with sumac and sesame seeds for a traditional za’atar mix. And when Hempel showed up with his Aji Amarillo chiles, Paone made a hot sauce. “I simply fermented them in a 4-percent saltwater solution. It usually takes about a few weeks.” says Paone.
Find more recipes by Chef Anthony Paone using Fred Hempel’s tomatoes here.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 pounds tomatoes, different types and sizes, including cherry tomatoes, sliced or halved
- 1/4 cup small-diced cucumber
- Spicy Yogurt (recipe below)
- Chickpea Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)
- 2 tablespoons za’atar (Oaktown Spice’s version is good for this)
Spicy Yogurt
- 1/4 cup labneh or Greek yogurt
- Pinch sea salt
- Aji amarillo hot sauce (or another of choice)
Season yogurt with a pinch of salt and a couple of drops of aji amarillo hot sauce.
Chickpea Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/3–1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons chopped Meyer lemon (use rind and all)
- Pinch chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped shallot
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Sea salt to taste
Combine all ingredients and adjust for a balanced acidity.
Instructions
Arrange tomatoes on plates and season with salt. Place a few dollops of Spicy Yogurt around the tomatoes, add a garnish of diced cucumber, and spoon the Chickpea Lemon Vinaigrette sparsely over the salad. Sprinkle with za’atar and serve.
- Category: Salad
