My friend Capi Peck, chef and Owner of Trio’s in Little Rock, Arkansas, visited me at Moss Mountain Farm one summer when the tomatoes were at their peak. It highlight the juicy flavor of the tomatoes she made a salad topped with Green Goddess Dressing.

Ingredients

Green Goddess Dressing Ingredients

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 4 anchovy fillets, minced optional
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned and hand-torn into bite-size pieces
  • 4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 large or 2 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups assorted grape tomatoes
  • 2 Vidalia onions or other sweet onions, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into long thin strips

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing puree all of the ingredients in food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Toss the romaine, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices and onion with a little of the Green Goddess dressing. Mound the romaine mix in the center of each salad plate. Fan 3 slices of heirloom tomatoes alongside the romaine. Drizzle a bit of Green Goddess dressing over the heirloom tomatoes and scatter basil over the heirlooms.