We recently enjoyed a lovely weekend on Long Beach Island in New Jersey with some college friends. Now more than ever we are appreciative of spending time in person with friends. It’s good for the soul.
I was telling my colleagues about my weekend and enjoyed educating those who don’t live in the Philadelphia or New Jersey area about a favorite local phrase ‘Down the Shore.’ This is what people say when they are traveling to the beaches in New Jersey. Despite going to Long Beach Island, it’s still referred to as the shore. Just to confuse things more, if you’re going to Delaware it’s okay to say beaches.
We enjoyed not one but two good meals at The Arlington in Ship Bottom – a town on Long Beach Island. Our dinner and service were so good on Friday night that we went back for lunch the following day to dine and watch some sports (I was more into the dining part).
This tomato salad is a take on one that I enjoyed at The Arlington. August in New Jersey means amazing tomatoes and this salad did not disappoint. It was originally made with heirloom cherry tomatoes but I used New Jersey beefsteak tomatoes and a sprinkling of yellow cherry tomatoes.
What stood out to me was how finely ground the pistachio nuts were. Think of it more as a dusting of nuts rather than pieces. I used a small food processor to achieve this but you could do the same with a knife. A little goes a long way so you don’t need a lot of pistachios.
I was looking for an alternative to a traditional feta when I was at Whole Foods and was intrigued by Kourellas Organic Barrel Aged Feta. It is made from both sheep and goat’s milk and is aged in wooden barrels for two months. Kourellas was the first organic dairy in Greece. Mt. Vikos also makes a barrel aged feta that is aged for four months. Barrel aging produces a more intense flavor and consistency that is both creamy and crumbly. I liked the stronger flavor of this feta.
Top the sliced tomatoes with pistachios and feta. Then drizzle with some flavorful extra virgin olive oil. I meant to add a bit of fresh basil and forgot! I’m sure it would be even better with some basil.
| Tomatoes, Pistachios and Barrel Aged Feta | Print |
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon unsalted pistachios, very finely chopped
- 1 ounce barrel aged feta, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon flavorful extra virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
- Ensure your tomatoes are at room temperature.
- Arrange tomato slices and halved cherry tomatoes on a platter.
- Sprinkle with pistachios and feta.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Sprinkle basil and salt all over.
- Serve within an hour of preparing (keep at room temperature).
* Use a small food processor to get very fine chopped pistachios.
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