Tomato salad with citrus dressing, toasted buckwheat and Thai basil

What you are now about to get the recipe for is a perfect example of how a simple vegetable can turn in to a delicious dish, with hardly any work at all. It's all about using vegetables in season, the flavour then is really rich all by itself and all you need to do is to serve and enjoy.

So, when it's season for the Swedish garden tomatoes (one of my favourites!) and you can find tomatoes in all kind of shapes, colors and textures at your local greengrocer I often make a simple tomato salad - beautiful and very delicious. This one is perfect as a starter, side salad or tapas! The sweet tomatoes goes very well the the sourish dressing, the crispy topping and the kind of sharp Thai basil. Serve on it's own, or together with some sourdough bread and sheep cheese.  

Tomato salad with citrus dressing, toasted buckwheat and Thai basil

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 kg mixed garden tomatoes

2 tbsp freshly pressed organic grapefruit juice

2 tbsp freshly pressed organic lime juice

zest from 1 organic lemon

2 tsp tamari

1 dl Thai basil

1/2 dl buckwheat groats

1/2 dl finely chopped chives 

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper 

How to

Mix citrus juice, zest and tamari with a fork to a marinade. Set aside. 

Wash and slice the big tomatoes, cut the smaller ones in half. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour over the citrus marinade and half of the Thai basil. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes in room temperature. 

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring some water to a boil and then pour over the buckwheat. Rinse with cold water and let drain for a few minutes. Toast in a dry pan, on medium heat, until golden and crisp. Let cool. 

Place the tomatoes on a big flat plate. Pour over the marinade. Sprinkle the rest of the Thai basil, chives and buckwheat. Sprinkle with flakey salt and some freshly ground black pepper! 

* Recipe by me for OTW on behalf of Göteborg-Posten. The recipe was first published in the weekend magazine Två Dagar, distributed by Göteborgs-Posten, August 16th 2017. 

Toasted bliss balls

Never get tired of nutty bliss balls. These little yummy ones are covered in toasted, finely chopped hazelnuts and toasted coconut flakes. Can be the most delicious covering ever! 

This is a recipe that doesn’t have any exact measurements, I just mix the ingredients until I get the desired consistency and flavor. Therefore they never taste exactly the same, which I like! And I rarely get the exact same number of bliss balls, it all depends on how much I happen to eat before they’re even ready(!), and on how big ones I can bare to roll…If I had any freeze dried raspberries I’d probably put them in here as well. Use your imagination!

I call these ones toasted as I toast the buckwheat and any seeds or nuts I have in them – does a lot for the flavor!

Best,

T

Toasted bliss balls

toasted whole buckwheat groats

toasted sesame seeds

oats (gluten free if gluten intolerant) 

toasted coconut flakes

cacao

a pinch of sea salt

a pinch of cinnamon

dried dates

tiny bit of cold pressed coconut oil

oat milk/almond milk/coconut milk/your choice of any plant based milk (water works just as fine!)

toasted and finely chopped coconut flakes and hazelnuts for rolling

How to

Start with mixing the buckwheat (use dried, whole buckwheat and rinse in boiling water before draining and toasting in a hot, dry frying pan until golden and crisp), add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until a powder-like consistency. 

Add pitted dates (use more for a sweeter taste, fewer for a less sweet bliss ball. Then you just have to use more plant milk instead!) and oil, pulse a few times. Add the plant milk until the right consistency. You may have to add a bit more cacao/salt/cinnamon to fit your preference, or more oats to get the right consistency. 

Form in to balls and roll in toasted finely chopped hazelnuts or toasted, mixed coconut flakes. Store in the freezer or fridge.