Tomatoes are hit and miss in the off season but I find the wee grape ones—a notch smaller than the cherry tomato varietal—always have a bit of spark; they are firm but flavourful and they pop when you bite into them creating a small explosion of tart sweetness. I use them a lot in salads because they're such a great acidic balance to many of the other ingredients I love: tender corn, warm earthy legumes, salty hard cheeses, sea salt, soft savoury lettuces and toothy bitter ones.
This particular pairing of tomatoes with tofu might be a little unorthodox but it works in a surprisingly wonderful way. I prefer smoked tofu for a dish like this where you want the tofu to actually mean something and not just lurk in the shadows as a protein stand-in. The smokiness provides additional depth and I like deep. I also broil or bake it until it not only browns but it also slightly hardens except for the interior which remains soft and chewy.
I used chives in this salad because they were a bright irresistible green at the market and I like their mild onion taste but a lot of finely chopped parsley would be good too. As would some chopped celery fronds if both the produce and the herb sections look dismal. This happens sometimes in the winter.
I'm always thinking of my tongue and my taste buds as a palette where I'm juggling the definitions and desires of salty and sweet, bitter and heat, four of my favourite things. This is the reason why I love salads—more than perhaps cooked food—because the flavours are so tangible and raw and distinct.
Smoked Tofu in a Honey-Orange marinade with Grape Tomatoes and Chives
1. Cube smoked tofu and brush it with a mixture of honey and orange juice. Broil until brown.
2. Halve a handful of grape tomatoes* and toss in a bowl with some chopped chives (or parsley or celery fronds) and drizzle with soy sauce, a bit of sesame oil and a squeeze of lemon.
*Raw is good here, but so is slightly seared.
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Oven roasted tomatoes
Another saving grace for winter tomatoes is to slow cook them with lots of garlic, or not, until they become chewy and their natural sugars practically dissolve the outer skin. Then they are really good mashed up with a bit of tapenade and served on oiled crostini sort of like a warm take on bruschetta. Pour some white wine and call it dinner.
Instead of roasting grape tomoatoes, you can also sear them in a hot skillet in a bit of oil until their skin browns and becomes almost translucent. Then toss them with lots of slivered fresh basil and a bit of balsamic. Ridiculously delicious.
Oven roasted tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil on a baking sheet and then spread them out in a layer. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and cracked pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are soft, about 15 - 20 minutes.
** You can add as little or as much garlic as you like, or none at all. You can use whole cloves or minced or pressed. The latter two may burn but they'll still leave their impression which is, in many ways, good enough.
