Tomato Salad with Crispy Potatoes and Creamy Feta
Jessica Koslow, the chef and owner of LA's Sqirl restaurant, couldn't stand tomatoes as a child. They gave her the creeps. But on her journey of becoming a pioneer of new-wave California cooking, she started to love them. In this recipe, she celebrates good summer tomatoes by pairing them with ultra-crunchy oven-crisped potatoes, an ingenious gluten-free twist on panzanella (bread and tomato salad). Make sure the potatoes get almost as crisp as croutons; if they're moist, let them bake longer.
Our suggested wine pairing: Presqu'ile 2012 Rosé Sparkling Wine (Santa Maria Valley; $65).
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Make crispy potatoes: Preheat oven to 425°. Scrub potatoes, dry them, and heap on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and pour on 1/2 cup oil, then turn to coat well. Spread out in a single layer and roast until crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure they're evenly coated with oil.
Step 2
2
Remove potatoes from oven. Smash with a potato masher, drizzle with more oil if needed, and season lightly with salt. Roast until browned and really crispy, another 20 to 25 minutes, turning over halfway through. Set aside to cool.
Step 3
3
While potatoes are roasting, make feta sauce: In a food processor, blend feta 5 to 10 seconds to break it down. With blade spinning, slowly pour in just enough buttermilk to make sauce as thick and smooth as crème fraîche. If there are still lumps, scrape sides and bottom of processor with a rubber spatula and blend just until smooth. Blend in sumac, with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
4
Assemble salad: In a large bowl, toss tomato pieces, red onion, and crispy potatoes (and any oil in pan) with vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread feta sauce over a large serving platter and arrange tomato and potato mixture on top. Shingle in herbs and finish with a drizzle of oil.
Ingredients
CRISPY POTATOES
1 pound peewee (baby) potatoes
About 1/2 tsp. salt
About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
CREAMY FETA
7 ounces feta, preferably sheep's milk, crumbled to yield about 1 1/2 cups
2 to 4 tbsp. well-shaken 2% buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons sumac
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
TO SERVE
1 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes (red, yellow, green, or a combination), cut into wedges and/or thick slices
2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chervil leaves
1/4 cup small to medium basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1
1
Make crispy potatoes: Preheat oven to 425°. Scrub potatoes, dry them, and heap on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and pour on 1/2 cup oil, then turn to coat well. Spread out in a single layer and roast until crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure they're evenly coated with oil.
Step 2
2
Remove potatoes from oven. Smash with a potato masher, drizzle with more oil if needed, and season lightly with salt. Roast until browned and really crispy, another 20 to 25 minutes, turning over halfway through. Set aside to cool.
Step 3
3
While potatoes are roasting, make feta sauce: In a food processor, blend feta 5 to 10 seconds to break it down. With blade spinning, slowly pour in just enough buttermilk to make sauce as thick and smooth as crème fraîche. If there are still lumps, scrape sides and bottom of processor with a rubber spatula and blend just until smooth. Blend in sumac, with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
4
Assemble salad: In a large bowl, toss tomato pieces, red onion, and crispy potatoes (and any oil in pan) with vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread feta sauce over a large serving platter and arrange tomato and potato mixture on top. Shingle in herbs and finish with a drizzle of oil.
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