The Sunday Dinner Table: Gregory Gourdet’s Tomatoes on Tomatoes with Shallot-Chili Dressing
At The Sunday Paper, we want to inspire you to gather at your tables—virtually or in-person—and open your hearts and minds with the help of our Meaningful Conversation Starter and featured recipe.
Meet Our Chef: Gregory Gourdet
Learn about his mission: Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, chef and author Gregory Gourdet is the child of Haitian immigrants. He’s long been an advocate for more inclusion in the restaurant industry. A self-proclaimed health freak and avid runner, Gourdet views food as a source of nourishment, connection, and pleasure. A global traveler, Gregory is a James Beard Award nominee and a two-time Top Chef finalist as well as an All Star and Guest Judge. His wood-fired Haitian restaurant Kann will open in Portland, OR, in 2022. His new book, Everyone’s Table, is an inclusive guide to cooking globally inspired dishes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains.
Get his recipe: Tomatoes on Tomatoes with Shallot-Chili Dressing
Get our Conversation Starter: What has been a meaningful life lesson that you’ve learned from eating in another town, state, or country?
Tomatoes on Tomatoes with Shallot-Chili Dressing
When you get your hands on late-summer tomatoes, heavy and nearly bursting with juice, celebrating the star of the season is as easy as slicing them. Yet a little prep does wonders. The first thing you do is pop some cherry tomatoes in the oven. While their flavor intensifies and their sugars caramelize, you douse sliced shallots and a little chile in vinegar to make a quick pickle. Assembling the salad is a breeze, your new condiments playing up the sweetness and acidity of tomatoes without distracting from their glory.
For the Shallot-Chile Pickle:
3 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 fresh red Thai chiles, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
For the Salad:
2 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes (such as heirloom, beefsteak, and cherry), cored if necessary and cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 cup Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Large handful mixed herbs, such as basil, cilantro, sage leaves, and dill
MAKE THE SHALLOT-CHILE PICKLE:
Combine the shallots and chiles in a medium bowl, sprinkle on the kosher salt, and toss well. Let sit for 5 minutes so the salt can begin to soften the shallots. Add the vinegar, stir well, and let sit for another 15 minutes. Stir once more.
MAKE THE SALAD:
Put the raw tomatoes on a platter, cut-sides up, and season with the flaky salt. Scatter on the roasted cherry tomatoes, then the shallot-chile pickle, including the liquid. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle on the herbs and serve right away.
From the book EVERYONE’S TABLE by Gregory Gourdet and JJ Goode. Copyright ©2021 by Gregory Gourdet and JJ Goode. Published by Harper Wave an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.
