moroccan fresh tomato salad

this past saturday we made a trip to the farmer's market at the ferry building. i hate dealing with the crowds there but the produce is worth it. everything is amazing. i find myself slowly meandering from stall to stall...only to realize that i am being one of those slow aimless walkers that drive me crazy. ooops. when i realize this i immediately snap out of it though and move along. really. i promise.

anyway, we bought the most gorgeous, perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes. these were way too delicious to cook so we made a fresh, herby, spicy salad with them.

moroccan fresh tomato salad
(from the mediterranean vegan kitchen)
ingredients:
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into small pieces
salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
black pepper, to taste

place chopped tomatoes in a colander. sprinkle lightly with salt and toss gently; let drain for 30 minutes.

in a medium bowl, combine the parsley, cilantro, jalapeno, oil, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. add the drained tomatoes, mixing gently yet thoroughly to combine. let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to blend. toss gently again.

serve at room temperature, or cover and chill for 1 hour and serve chilled.

we had some of this leftover but when you spend $8 on tomatoes you don't really wanna throw 'em away and call it a day. we ate the leftovers tossed with arugula and an avocado with a little drizzle of olive oil and a fresh sprinkle of salt and pepper.

-d