In the Kitchen with a Southern Sushi Chef

Vinegared Tomato Salad

 I always keep a reserve of sushi rice dressing in my pantry. Besides being available to me if the sushi urge strikes, this marinade is extremely helpful for making quick salads. The simple mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt stands up wonderfully to thinly sliced vegetables such as cucumbers or store bought broccoli slaw mix.

For the bargain price of $5, I received an assortment of heirloom tomatoes from the local farmer’s market. My first intention was to toss my tomatoes in balsamic vinaigrette and serve with perhaps a crumbling of goat cheese. But as I was trying to locate my balsamic vinegar in the pantry, my eyes fell upon my little glass jar filled with sushi rice marinade. As I thought for a minute, the application made sense – flavorful yet light enough to allow the natural goodness of the tomatoes to shine through.

For the most visually pleasing salad, cut tomatoes in consideration of shape rather than aiming for overall uniformity. Tiny tomatoes are good left uncut, while oblong cherry sized tomatoes are nice quartered. For larger tomatoes, cut into thin wedges or dice making sure that the beauty of the tomato is not sacrificed for the cut.

The final product is wonderful as a summer appropriate replacement for the typical cucumber vinegared salad. It works well as a side dish for vegetable sushi rolls or as a topping for lightly grilled fish.

Vinegared Tomato Salad

serves 2

2 cups sliced heirloom tomatoes

recipe for sushi rice dressing, doubled

3-4 TBSP finely chopped scallions

Place tomatoes into a non metal, preferrably glass bowl. Add sushi rice dressing and scallions and gently toss with hands, being careful not to overly handle tomatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain salad before serving. To store, place tightly covered in refrigerator until ready to serve. For optimal taste, serve salad at room temperature.