Stacked Tomato Salad
A philosophical salad, the Stacked Tomato Salad. Rich and herbaceous with a pop of sweet balsamic vinegar!
Sometimes the best, most flavorful things are the simplest.
This philosophy seems to cover, well, life in general. Legendary artist Hans Hofmann once said, The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
I know many families have been hanging onto an economic life raft over the last decade. Yet through this, a bouquet of lovely realizations have blossomed.
How much does one really need to be happy? Is happiness dependent on your house, cars, wardrobe, or vacations? (I’m secretly tempted to scream YES to the last one, although I know it’s not true.)
The truth is, happiness is a state of mind.
I’ve traveled abroad enough to see first hand that billions of individuals world-wide, live an entire lifetime with much less than Americans, yet are completely satisfied.
I’ve met families that lived in utterly wretched conditions, but found true joy in faith and family.
Happiness is a choice we make everyday. I’d like to believe I had full-grasp of this before the economic crisis a few years back, but we all need a good sifting every now and again.
I make a point to give thanks on a daily basis for the things I have that truly matter… My sweet husband that supports me in whatever hair-brained project I take on. My precious children who, even on their worst days, are absolute gifts from above. My parents, wise and steadfast. Friends who know my heart beyond words and miles. These represent my new understanding of true prosperity.
Over the last few years I have been on a rampage to simplify my life. Taking on fewer, but more gratifying projects, less meaningless activities, less waste, even simpler meals.
This is not the first, and surely won’t be the last time I’ll ramble on about this. Yet I find it makes the things you hold on to, so much more precious!
Today I’m serving an elegant little Stacked Tomato Salad with a bare-bones mentality. No elaborate dressing or ostentatious ingredients… Just five simple items that do very well on their own, thank you!
Last summer when our heirloom tomatoes came in, I felt that the only way to improve their natural perfection, might be the addition of goat cheese. A drizzle of high-quality balsamic vinegar was the cherry on top.
Stacked Tomato Salad can be prepared in just moments. Make sure to purchase soft and silky chevre goat cheese and thick aged balsamic vinegar. I find it’s hard to get really good balsamic at our regular grocery stores.
I went to a specialty store to find what I was looking for, a syrupy vinegar aged 25 years. You can swirl the bottle and watch it coat the glass! This vinegar is sweet on it’s own, and so smooth I could literally drink it out of the bottle. Not at all harsh like some you find at the grocery. Good balsamic can act as a stand-alone dressing without the need of oil and seasoning.
Stacked Tomato Salad with a slather of goat cheese and herbs and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar, is a real treat when tomatoes are in season.
Check out our recipe card below!
Stacked Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ripe medium-sized tomatoes
- 10 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (thyme, chive, rosemary…)
- Good balsamic vinegar for drizzling
- Salt
Instructions
- Mix the fresh herbs into the goat cheese.
- Slice the tomatoes into 4 thick rounds. Sprinkle each tomato round with salt. Gently slather the layers of each tomato with the goat cheese mixture.
- Stack the rounds to reassemble the tomato. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar!
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I am not a fan of goat cheese. Could you suggest another type. Your recipe looks easy and delicious.
Hi Marge!
You could go with ricotta cheese, or even cream cheese. Happy Cooking! :)
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These flavors are so great!! Perfect for summer too!
Looks too pretty to eat!! Great colors
I love that you kept the stems on. So so cute!
Hello!!! I saw your tomato at Foodista. I really like it. I also saw your other blogs and they sound great. Looking forward to more of your food blogs links in
Foodista.
Definetely I am trying this!
I love beets and this dish is a work of art!!
I love tomatoes and goat cheese! Such a beautiful presentation too! I love that you kept the stems in tack, almost too cute to eat!
What a fun post! I love the look of this salad. So beautiful!
This salad may be simple, but it presents so well! And I love your attitude on life, simplicity and happiness :)
Hmmm….I don't think it would surprise you now, if I said I love bleeders in food – stuff that "bleed" their gorgeous colours into stuff around them …. blueberries, plums, beets, saffron. Get the picture?
These are no less beautiful for all their simplicity – of course, I love the beet stack, just a bit more ;)
Wow, wow, WOW! Super cool stacks! I've never made a stack of food, but this looks like something I could very easily get down with! I am a little afraid of beets, but with the goat cheese thrown in there?? I am pretty sure I will woof it down! Also, I hear you on the simplicity front….I have also tried to make my life as 'simple' as possible. Makes for less complications and an ability to focus on the wonderful things!
great stack, I loe the last pic of the beet color running into the goat cheese… I agree really do we need all the material things, yes they are nice- but I don't need the debt lingering over my head…
sweetlife
This is gorgeous!
Love those roasted beets! Very artistic and colorful. Simplicity rules!