Turn simple into stunning by capitalising on the abundance of summer herbs for this tomato salad.
Oregano is the strongest flavour with a definite spicy taste to both the leaves and the edible white flowers – I use a fresh stem or two in slow cooked tomato dishes or on roast peppers and other vegetables. Remove and discard it before serving. But oregano retains a great flavour even when dried and is great when used to compliment strong flavours such as tomato sauces or lamb dishes.
Marjoram has a much sweeter taste, is less dominant than Oregano and provides a similar but more gentle background flavour.
These herbs are very easy to grow and are very easy to dry at home too. Simply tie up a bunch with string and hang it in an airy kitchen for about one week or until it is dry and crispy. It is easy to crumble the leaves and flowers with your hands discarding the stems as you go. The crumbled leaves can be stored in an airtight jar and will keep for at least 6 months, probably longer.
Tomato Salad with Oregano or Marjoram
For 4-6
6 large tomatoes, thinly sliced carpaccio style
½ tsp sugar
A generous pinch of sea salt flakes
A pinch or two of dried oregano or fresh marjoram leaves
About 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Put the tomatoes on a plate or shallow dish and sprinkle them with the sugar, salt and the dried oregano or fresh marjoram.
Drizzle the oil over the top.
See also: – A Glut of Tomatoes
If you want a healthier and more environmentally friendly diet, a good start would be to cook from scratch, avoid buying ready-processed meals, and so avoid foods with a high sugar and salt content. Have a look at food labels, you will likely be amazed by how much salt and sugar is included and, worse, how many of the ingredients are not recognisable as food.
Sherbhert champions delicious, healthy and sustainable food where its production minimises environmental damage, exploitation, animal suffering and subsequent processing. Sherbhert’s recipes are simple and use mainly UK seasonal produce sourced as locally as possible.
Sherbhert occasionally recommends suppliers entirely because of their good produce and ethos.
