I have to be honest. I don’t love salads. When it comes to eating them, I’m very persnickety. I’m not embarrassed to admit it, even though I should be. I guess. I have all sorts of rules and regulations when it comes to the green stuff. It has to be ice-cold. The lettuce can’t have any brown spots. Those tomatoes better be plump. It goes on and on.
Salads to me have always seemed like a chore. A chore only rewarded by your doctor, and who really wants to hang out with that guy? I know, I know. I have issues, but they’re fun in my head. Anyway. Rather than be completely irresponsible, I’ve opted to make salads a tad more appealing. Staying away from the traditional lettuce, tomato, cucumber and replacing those with veggies I like.
And so, here we are. A tomato, ASPARAGUS (cuz I love me some spears) and, yes, a bit of lettuce salad. The second most crucial bit on salads I like, is the dressing. Let’s face it, that ‘s the real reason I eat the darn things 
For this one, I got a bit inspired by some overly ripen tomatoes and used them as the base for the dressing. You know what? This salad was much yum! Yep. Uh huh. It was mighty good! Check, check it out.
Tomato & Asparagus Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette:
Ripe tomatoes, seeded
Balsamic vinegar
Sugar
Salt & pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a small saucepan, add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften. Add 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, about 1 tsp of sugar and about 1/2 cp of water. Allow it to simmer until the tomatoes break down completely, about 10-15 minutes. Allow it to cool.
Place the tomato puree in the blender and puree. Add a bit more balsamic and about 1/4 cp of olive oil. Check the seasoning again and put in the fridge to cool.
For the salad:
Blanched asparagus*
Firm tomato, cubed
Lettuce
*To blanch the asparagus, trim the ends and cut the spears in half or thirds, depending on the size. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and dump the asparagus in for a couple of minutes. Just long enough for the green to become very vibrant. Remove the asparagus and dunk them in a bowl of ice water for a couple of minutes.
Drain the asparagus and pat dry them, placing them in a salad bowl. Add the tomatoes and lettuce. Drizzle the tomato dressing over the top.
Enjoy!
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Comments ( 14 )
Oh boy does this look good, thanks for the recipe
you're quite welcome and thanks for stopping by!
I feel the same about salads...this is so colorful and what a recipe. The ripe tomato for base was an excellent idea. By the way what type of camera do you use.
Do you think it is a Latin thing? We tend to like substance, I think. Glad you like the suggestion here, though. I have a Sony Cybershot H2--she's an oldie and I'm beginning to consider replacement. But I really like it. It's a step down from a full DSLR but offers me a great deal of 'pro' features without having the great big, heavy bulky camera to lug around. I'm thinking I will get a DSLR for my food shots next year, but keep the Sony for travels since I can easily throw it in my purses. I have to admit that I've noticed much more improvement in the shots since I switched my bulbs to Daylight ones. Some of the posts still have shots with the regular bulbs because I dont post in the order I cook.
I agree, summer equals cool, refreshing, non-oven cooking! Salads and cold soups fit the bill for me too! Bon appetit! =:~)
I have a Nikon Cool Pix....sometimes i feel i take great pictures and then crap. By the way Chica...if ever in New York...you will get a Branzino dinner and the view along with lots of goodies......and VINO! mucho VINO!
As soon as I settle on a date, I'll let you know!
Looks fresh and yummy. I'd love to have one right now.
i'm not the biggest salad fan also. though there are a few standards that i just love. your salad looks quite good though!!
Fred & Norah, thanks ever so much for checking the salad and the blog out. Welcome to my little home!