Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette (serves 2)
This salad is a vegan/vegetarian take (minus Worcestershire Sauce in vinaigrette) on a tomato and mozzarella salad. When I could still eat cheese, this was a favorite appetizer/starter but was often tasteless other than for the balsamic vinaigrette if tomatoes were not is season or not ripe enough. Took small to medium size ripe tomatoes on the vine (about the same size in diameter as a slice of cucumber
Take 4 medium size, ripe tomatoes on the vine – topped, tailed and sliced
Take an English cucumber – slice about half of it into 1/2 inch slices (English cucumber has few seeds)
Take 1/2 an avocado – finely dice
Juice of half a lemon – add to avocado and toss
For tomato vinaigrette:
Take 2 medium size, ripe tomatoes on the vine and plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds or so.
Cut a line in tomato skin and it should begin to peel back and then you know it is ready to peel.
Once skin is off, de-seed tomatoes and cut into chunks.
Place in food processor and add vinaigrette ingredients one at a time (add olive oil quite slowly) – 1/2 teasp. Dijon mustard, 1 dessertsp. red wine vinegar, 3 dessertsp. extra virgin olive oil, several drops of Worcestershire sauce (taste and more Worcestershire sauce if needed).
Assemble as follows:
1 slice of tomato topped with 1 slice of cucumber topped with sprinkling of avocado tossed with lemon juice.
Place a small amount of dressing on top of the tomato stack.
Pour more dressing around the tomato stacks (I gave each person 3 tomato stacks as an appetizer)
