Get Hip With Strawberry-Tomato Relish
Last week I extolled the virtues of tomatonaise, a condiment I realize I didn't make up but which I slather on everything as soon as the summer tomatoes are ripe. So, like, just this past weekend. This week I'm going one step further, bolstered by these 14 things I did not actually know about strawberries. They're not even a fruit? What else haven't you told me?? Brain explosions aside though, I got a tip from one of my favorite food insiders in the world on how to liven up strawberries and tomatoes at the same time.
Ted Allen of Chopped and other fine food TV shows published an awesome cookbook last summer that featured an incredibly delicious cherry tomato and strawberry bruschetta recipe. I spooned it on stuff for basically the rest of the summer. I then promptly forgot about it when fruit started tasting like potatoes come November. Then I totally just remembered it when I was making a grilled cheese the other day. That's what it's absolutely perfect in: grilled cheese. But there are a lot of other ways to use this relish, made by mixing equal ratios of thinly sliced hulled strawberries, halved cherry tomatoes or chopped heirlooms and your preferred amount of minced red onion, some kind of green herb (I like Italian parsley), salt, pepper, olive oil and the tiniest splash of high-end balsamic vinegar. Here are a few ideas:
- The 13th way to use up leftover baked ham (ham and strawberry: just try it)
- A respectable companion to buffalo mozzarella or burrata
- In conjunction with this one particular goat cheese
- Or this particular French cheese
- On toast, possibly with a smear of cream cheese
- Actually, with any cheese, ever
- Simply smashed into bread for a sweet play on pa amb tomàquet
- Strawberry-tomato quinoa salad
- Or strawberries and tomatoes in the tune of Greek salad
Just put these two stars of the season together and let them do their thing. I assure you, your love of both will increase substantially. Before you know it, you'll be eliciting shamings from your friends because you loaded strawberry-tomato relish onto a burger or a grilled fish fillet (two things it's awesome with). Let them live in ignorance. It's your summer.
More summer specialties for lunch on Food Republic: