For the Golden Tomato Vinaigrette:
8 oz. yellow tomatoes, peeled, cored, quartered, and seeded
1½ tsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup grape-seed oil
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
For the Crab Salad:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon zest
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. mustard powder, such as Coleman’s
1 tsp. tarragon leaves
1 tsp. snipped dill sprigs
2 Tbs. sliced chives
2 lbs. jumbo lump crab meat, gently picked over for shell
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
For the Stacks:
1 lb. heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
2 lbs. avocados, peeled, seeded, diced, and gently tossed in fresh lemon juice
12 oz. watercress sprigs tossed in 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 (3-inch-tall by 3-inch-square) molds
12 pear tomatoes, halved, for garnish
For the Golden Tomato Vinaigrette:
Combine the tomatoes, vinegar, and hot sauce in a blender and puree. With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the grape-seed oil. The vinaigrette should be silky and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep for one day in the refrigerator.
For the Crab Salad:
Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, and the mustard in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the tarragon, dill, and chives. Very gingerly fold in the crab meat, trying not to break up the lumps. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate. The crab salad will keep for one day in the refrigerator.
For the Stacks:
Whisk the tomato vinaigrette if it needs to be re-emulsified. Pour 1/4 cup of it into each of four shallow bowls. Place a mold in each bowl and layer it as follows: 1/3 cup diced heirloom tomato, 1/3 cup diced avocado, and 2/3 cup crab salad. Gently press down.
Remove the mold, top each stack with 2/3 cup watercress, garnish with pear tomatoes, and serve.
Tomato season is here! Serve up a taste of summer with five easy recipes showcasing the flavor-filled, versatile fruit
