Tomato Stack Salad with Corn and Avocado

Finally, after a looooooong 10 month wait (which seemed far longer) the heirloom tomatoes grow by my favourite local farmer are in the market again. These are happy days children. There is nothing like a tomato that has been grown in the ground and kissed by the sun. They try to duplicate it in a greenhouse but anyone who has eaten them side by side knows the truth of the matter.

I picked up a basket of tomatoes at the farmers' market last week. Yes, a basket. When these treats arrive on the market one eats them all the time because they aren't here for long. SIGH

For our first taste (second actually, for the first taste must be a pristine slice with nothing more than some salt, pepper, and olive oil) we went with this tomato stack salad from Cooking Light which was recently featured on the cover of the magazine. Tomato stack salads are a treat - lovely presentation and a mix of flavours in every bite. Generally they include cheese but given that this one was low-cal there wasn't any cheese to be found - we didn't miss it though.

All the ingredients together are so simple, but that's what makes it extraordinary when you use fresh produce.  Don't make any substitutions or take any short cuts with this one and you will not be disapointed.  Enjoy when you can grab beautiful heirloom tomatoes at your local farmer's market!!!!  We enjoyed down to the very last bite; refreshing, light, and really the star of any meal.

Tomato Stack Salad with Corn and Avocado

2  bacon slices, halved
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1  garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2  ears shucked corn 
Cooking spray
2  large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices total
2  globe tomatoes, cut into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices total
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2  ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the grill to high heat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, tossing occasionally to curl. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Coat corn with cooking spray. Place corn on grill rack; grill 8 minutes or until well marked, turning occasionally. Remove from grill; cool slightly. Cut corn kernels from cobs.

Sprinkle tomato slices evenly with salt. Alternate layers of tomato and avocado on each of 4 plates. Scatter corn evenly onto plates. Drizzle each tomato stack with about 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over salads; top each salad with 1 bacon piece.

Comments

[bellini]

cooking Light does it again. I grew a few types of heirlooms in my garden but could find the variety of plants I was looking for. Maybe next year!

[JDeQ]

Or else find a nice farmer who grows all sorts of different varieties! It works for me.

[Kayte]

I am going to need to play around with this whole stacking deal...I haven't ever ventured forth on those recipes as it seemed difficult to eat them, maybe a little messy, but that said, I am planning to dissect this one and see how it goes...it looks really impressive and delicious.

[JDeQ]

Yup - the eating can be messy and the stack doens't last log as a stack. It looks impressive and then boom - a mess on a plate. A tasty mess to be sure. *smile*

[Kayte]

I practiced the stacking and it looked slightly okay for a moment or two...I need more practice! But I am determined to keep playing around with this stacking idea...thanks for the inspiration! It might be my new thing around here for a bit...lol.

[JDeQ]

You make me smile Kayte. I can never get the stack to last much longer than a plate presentation and a photo. If you find the secret do tell!