A Simple Recipe for a Flavour-Packed Heirloom Tomato Salad

I frequent the farmers market as if it’s my church— every Sunday. And every week in the summer, I bring home as many colorful heirloom tomatoes as I can carry. It would be sacrilege to cover up their beauty with a complicated recipe. Instead, I use simple yet unexpected ingredients—lime juice, sesame oil, and a toasted seed topping—to highlight their vibrant flavors.

(Related: A Summer Soup? Yes—Just Try This Roasted Fennel and Tomato One)

Sesame Heirloom Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons pepitas
• 2 tablespoons raw, hulled sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 2 pounds colorful heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Flaky sea salt
• Microgreens, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the pepitas, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown and toasty.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes to allow the seeds to crisp up.
5. Arrange the tomatoes on a large platter in a single layer, overlapping only slightly.
6. Top with the avocado slices and scallions and drizzle with the lime juice and sesame oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, the seed topping, and microgreens and serve.

Excerpted from Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food  by Jeanine Donofrio. Copyright © 2023 Jeanine Donofrio. Photographs © 2023 by Eva Kolenko . Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: An Heirloom Tomato Quiche for a Satisfying Summer Meal