Tomatoes w/ Chopped Egg Vinaigrette

Serves 3 – 4

Dressing:
1 ripe medium tomato (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon sliced scallion greens
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad:
2 to 3 large, juicy, ripe tomatoes
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled; whites and yolks separately chopped
Basil sprig for garnish, optional

For the dressing:

Bring a small pan of water to a boil and add the tomato, turning it once, for about 15 to 20 seconds until the skin feels loose on the side. Cool, core and finely chop the tomato until it becomes almost soupy. You’ll have about ¾ cup. Scrape all of the tomato and the juices into a small bowl. Stir in oil, red onion, scallion greens and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the salad: Halve, core and slice the large tomatoes and arrange on a platter with sides. Season with salt and pepper. Separate the hard-cooked egg whites from the yolks. Spoon the tomato vinaigrette over the sliced tomatoes and evenly sprinkle the egg whites and yolks on top. (Sprinkling them together is not as pretty.)

Courtesy of Miriam Rubin, North Carolina University Press, 2013

Photograph from THE NORTH CAROLINA UNIVERSITY PRESS (www.uncpress.unc.edu)