Tomato Salad Murcia-style

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes [PT10M]

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic (peeled)

salt

5 ripe beefsteak tomatoes (peeled)

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds

a pinch of pimentón

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

In a mortar mash the garlic with a little salt to a paste. Coarsely chop one tomato and add it to the mortar. Pound the tomato together with the garlic, until well blended. Add the vinegar, pepper, cumin seeds, and pimentón to the mortar and pound until smooth. Add the olive oil and stir with the pestle to mix well with the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the remaining tomatoes crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange them on a serving platter single-layered or overlapping as little as possible. Pour the tomato vinaigrette over the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cumin seeds. Serve at room temperature.

Teresa Barrenechea, Marichu Restaurant, New York, NY
Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine