This delicious, herby dressing is not really a salad dressing in the sense of vinaigrette, but more of a light, healthy sauce to dress any delicately flavoured ingredient. Think fish, poached chicken or steamed vegetables. It is also wonderful tossed through freshly cooked pasta. Just add some crisp steamed green beans and maybe some crumbled goat's cheese.
At our restaurant we are serving this dressing under a quickly roasted fillet of ocean trout, then topped with steamed leek, peas and asparagus. It is essential that the tomatoes are beautifully ripe, so leave this recipe for mid to late summer.
6 large, ripe tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole, or use garlic oil
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 stalks rosemary or oregano, chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) Olive oil
30 ml (1 fl oz / 2 Tbs) good quality red wine vinegar (I use Puig & Roca Forum cabernet sauvignon vinegar)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Wash the tomatoes (unless you grew them you can never tell what has been sprayed on them) and place whole into a roasting tray with all remaining ingredients. Season to taste.
Place in a hot (220°C 450°F) oven and roast for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are well browned. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stand a chinois or coarse sieve over a large bowl and pour in the tomato mix. Using a wooden spoon, crush the dressing through the sieve until all the juices have been extracted. Discard the pulp or better still, add it to a veal stock. Taste the dressing for seasoning and extra vinegar and serve!
Lasts up to 5 days refrigerated.