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Two Favorite Spring Salads: Marinated Tomato Salad With Panko Crusted Haloumi & Tomato Salad With Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Herbs

It’s full on Spring here in the South and I am absolutely smitten with it. Unlike in Charleston where we seem to get barely 10 days of this wonderful season, Alabama is downright gorgeous this time of year. Lush landscapes, fields upon fields of dogwoods and wild flowers. And lots and lots of herbs…

 

Tomatoes

And the produce… As soon as the farmers market started again, there has been a fridge full of gorgeous and tasty tomatoes, herbs, micro greens, salads, radishes, tender peas, wild garlic, chive flowers and more tomatoes. Be prepared for an onslaught of tomato recipes.

Chive Flowers

We simply can’t get enough. There has been much cooking and little blogging. Thing is, we have been puppy training… After a few weeks without another pup in the house, another companion to our other dog, we drove to the shelter and rescued a little pup in need of a home. What we were told was a labrador and German shepherd mix turned out to be a German Shepherd and Great Dane mix. Please meet Tiggy. She is now 4 months old and we love her to pieces. And yes, we might need a bigger house! No shoes have been chewed up yet. She’s after tags and pretending her water bowl is a kiddie pool (she goes to doggie daycare twice a week and they have one there…which explains it all!). She and Bailey get along famously.

 

Halloumi salad

And she loves going to the market with us, getting lots of petting and meeting up the other dogs in the neighborhood. We’ve been busy playing, cooking and enjoying this new energy in the house.

 

Chimichurri

The days have progressively getting longer and warmer. Days at work have become fuller and busier with lots of great new shoots and projects. Our evenings of slow cooking, braising have been replace with lots of grilling and tons of cold soups and salads. We are in full "Operation Tomatoes". Lots of tomato salads, grilled tomatoes, gazpachos, etc…

 

Wild Garlic

Here are two of the salads I made recently and are now in rotation on the weekends when we can have more time to share them with friends with a cold glass of Prosecco and lots of puppies running in the back yard.

 

Micro greens

The first one was a chimichurri marinated salad with panko crusted haloumi. Lots and lots of parsley, extra virgin olive oil, chive flowers and robust heirloom tomatoes. The other one a simple salad of fresh tomato with a kicking smoked paprika vinaigrette. Add a bit of grilled protein (shrimp, chicken, red meat) and you have a complete dinner bursting with the flavors of spring.

 

Tomato Salad With Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Chimichurri Tomato Salad with Panko Crusted Haloumi: (inspired by the Kiwi magazine Delicious)

 Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as an appetizer.

For the chimichurri:

1 cup parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 garlic cloves, crushed (I used wild garlic but use regular garlic if not available)

1/3 cup chive flowers (or chopped red onion if not available)

juice of one lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Set aside until ready to use with the salad.

Tomato and Haloumi Salad:

1 pound tomatoes, sliced

1/4 to 1/3 cup chimichurri

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup micro greens

1/2 cup flour (I used fine sweet rice flour)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko crumbs (I used gf ones)

1 pound haloumi, cut into 1/2 inch slices

3 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, toss together the tomato slices, chimicurri, red onion and micro greens. Reserve in the fridge while you prepare the haloumi.

Place the flour, eggs and panko crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Dredge the slices of haloumi, one at time in the flour, then the eggs then the crumbs and cook in the hot skillet for two minutes on each side or until golden.

Divide the salad among serving plates and place slices of haloumi on top. Drizzle with extra chimichurri if desired.

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Tomato Salad With Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette:

Serves 6

1 pound mixed tomatoes, cubed or halved if using cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

oregano

Place the tomatoes on a platter or in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle or toss with the tomatoes. Garnish with a few oregano leaves. Serve promptly. Goes great with a poached egg and a thick slice of toasted multigrain bread.

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Comments


Anonymous May 9, 2014 um 4:30 am

I started my tomatoes late so I'm practically babysitting the little plants that hold so much promise. Your photos make my mouth water! I'd devour the platter of tomato salad if I had it. Everything is just lovely.


Lauren May 9, 2014 um 1:29 pm

I love all these flavor combinations in each salad. I've never tried Haloumi before, I wonder where I can find it?
Your dogs are ADORABLE! What a treat they get along so well ๐Ÿ™‚


El May 9, 2014 um 7:51 pm

Gorgeous, as always. Hope you're doing well!


El May 9, 2014 um 7:52 pm

Happy spring. How beautiful!


Jen May 9, 2014 um 7:54 pm

that looks so refreshing!! love it!!

…and has tiggy chewed through any walls??

๐Ÿ™‚


Bea May 9, 2014 um 8:43 pm

Thank you for inspiring me every single day ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope I'll have this great opportunity to meet you one day.Dream.


Helene May 10, 2014 um 12:44 am

Jen: no walls…unlike Bailey. Thank heavens!!


Helene May 10, 2014 um 12:44 am

El: thank you!


Helene May 10, 2014 um 12:45 am

Bea: thank you! Maybe someday!


Helene May 10, 2014 um 12:45 am

Limmer: good luck with the tomato plants! We have too many squirrels in our backyard to grow anything to full maturity ๐Ÿ™


Kally May 12, 2014 um 7:07 am

Loving the tomato recipes, we typically have an absolute glut so always on the lookout for more interesting recipes. On a more immediate note, I adore that cutlery, could you please please please tell me where you got it from?


Mary May 12, 2014 um 8:56 pm

We're forecast for several warm days in a row this week in Eugene, OR – up into the 80's even! Perfect weather for your yummy-looking salads! I must see if there is anyplace locally to buy Houmimi (?)

Mary in OR


Helen in CA May 15, 2014 um 12:39 am

Being in Northern CA, tomatoes are still a dream. Some of us don't even transplant them until May.

Looking forward to these recipes in August.


Taylor Bishop June 10, 2014 um 5:40 pm

Beautiful photos!


Christy @ My Invisible Crown July 27, 2014 um 5:02 am

I love looking at your gorgeous photos and seeing these boards and that tin that I gravitated towards and took so many photos on. As always your photography is inspirational. Hope you're doing well my friend! Email me when you're ready to do some private lessons. I'll be ready when you are! ๐Ÿ™‚


CS January 19, 2015 um 5:33 pm

Marinated tomatoes and other veggies are excellent any time of the week


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