Yesterday's "score" at the Heirloom Fair was a bag of heirloom tomatoes but I decided that they were too precious to eat in a salad. Each one will be sliced, sprinkled with a touch of Kosher salt and savored in respectful silence.
Instead, I "braved" SF's fog and today's cooler weather - not to mention SF's public transit - to get down the Farmer's Market at Civic Center. There are a lot of booths, each selling local and seasonal produce but I was in search of tomatoes for salad.
The first booth, next to the pigeon draped statue of some 19th century soldier, is the cheapest booth on the plaza. It's always swarmed by bargain seekers and I added myself to the crush, scoring another bag of tomatoes - less fancy but good enough for one of my favorite salads. Seasoned with lemon, tomato, cucumber and sumac, it combines the taste of California with the tang of sumac, an ancient herb from the Middle East. I bought the lettuce and cucumber from Golden Produce as their lettuce is always fresh and crisp. They also sell organic, seedless cucumbers (for those of us who hate to seed the darn things).
Tomato Salad with lemon dressing
Romaine lettuce, washed well, leaves dried, chilled if there's time
Chopped tomato, small cherry and grape tomatoes hold up well
Cucumber, peeled or striped if the skin is tough, seeded if the seeds are large, chopped
Lemon-Sumac dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon sumac (what is sumac? see Notes)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper
Fried Pita Chips
Peanut or vegetable oil
1 or 2 pita breads, cut into squares
Prep the salad ingredients, chill while making the rest of the salad.
Dressing: With a small food processor, process all the ingredients until smooth.
Fried Pita Chips: Heat about a half inch of oil in a large skillet, it's "hot enough" when you can flick some water off your fingertips into the skillet and the oil sizzles. Drop in a single layer of pita square and let turn golden and crisp, it takes just a minute. Lift out the squares and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels. If needed, cook another layer.
What is sumac? Sumac is a red spice, made from the ground fruit from sumac trees and shrubs. It adds a sour note which I love. I buy Sumac from Golden Produce on Church Street but you might be able to find it in the local Middle Eastern stores. Just be sure that it's fresh and not past the expiration date. A layer of greasy dust on the package is usually a clue!
Civic Center Farmer's Market (Heart of the City)- every Wednesday and Sunday at SF's Civic Center Plaza
Golden Produce: 172 Church Street. San Francisco, CA 94114. (415) 431-1536. Open Daily 9am-8pm
Comments