In Search of a Tomato Salad Substitute
09 December 2009
My first week and a half back at work after my looong break has passed in a blink of an eye. I’ve been busy since day 1 (which is good), I have interesting projects, my old as well as new colleagues are really nice, so I have no reason to complain.
But now that I spend 3 days a week at the office again my eating rhythm needs to change. Before I would usually skip lunch but have a biiig muesli for breakfast and warm dinner in the evening. Back at work I usually have lunch with my colleagues; as we are a small company there is no big canteen, but even better, we have a lovely lady cooking juicy risottos or yummy pasta for us in the office kitchen.
So having had warm lunch, which is always tasty but often carb-loaded, I usually feel like having something rather small and light in the evening (not that I have anything against carbs, but I can get enough of them). My beloved tomato salad would be the ideal choice, but to my deep regret, I have recently discovered that the raw vegetables and the sour sauce (and I like it really sour…) tend to make my stomach rumble at night, keeping me awake.
Last week I went about my search for a suitable substitute, which I soon discovered. The new dish needed to fulfill a number of criteria – it should be light, quick to prepare, not entirely raw, not overly sour, remind me of a salad but not actually be one.
So I briefly simmered/steamed some courgettes and aubergines to make them soft, and then added some tomatoes for the "salad factor"; mixing the cold tomatoes into the hot vegetables they became luke-warm, without entirely losing their shape. For the dressing I used some fine cold-pressed olive oil, and I found a slightly decadent solution to the acidity issue, by taking some aged, mild, reserve balsamic vinegar instead of the usual one. Whereas I actually prefer the younger, sourer version for a proper tomato salad, on steamed vegetables reserve balsamic vinegar is just loveley…
No doubt this (or slightly varying versions of it) will become my new quick & easy mini-dinner dish. A worthy replacement, indeed…
Luke-Warm Tomato, Courgette & Aubergine Salad
| quantities to your liking |
| courgette(s) |
| aubergine(s) |
| tomatoes (about the same amount as courgettes and aubergines together) |
| garlic powder |
| dried thyme |
| dried basil |
| some virgin olive oil |
| some reserve balsamic vinegar |
| optional: some Dijon mustard |
| freshly ground pepper |
Slice the courgette(s) and aubergine(s) and salt. Place in a sauce pan, pour over just a little bit of water so the vegetables won’t burn, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes with the lid half-closed.
Meanwhile cut the tomatoes into bite sized-bits. Once the courgettes and aubergines are soft, turn off the heat, add the tomatoes and stir well.
Now season to taste with salt, some dried herbs such as thyme and basil, a dash of cold-pressed olive oil and some fine reserve balsamic vinager; optionally stir in a little bit of Dijon mustard, too. Finish with some freshly ground pepper and eat luke-warm!