Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing, Tarragon, and Chives

Assorted tomatoes splayed across a plate of snipped chives and topped with tarragon and blue cheese dressing.

After weeding the last flower bed this morning my glance caught bright red tomatoes hanging up high in the garden. I got my little basket and picked them quick as I could in the hopes of beating out the bugs who compete with me!! Bugs had been snacking on my left foot and right fore arm so I knew they were up and at it!!

Happily I got the most I have ever picked this morning. Probably a full 5 pounds. About half were blemished but I can cut blemishes away, no problem. 

Brian had mentioned bringing home pizza tonight, as he often does on Tuesday nights and I thought an icy cold well seasoned tomato salad might go very nicely with pizza. I had one heirloom tomato left and I have saved the seeds from some of the others so this would be a pretty way to use it too.

Lucky for me I have some Maytag Blue Cheese left in the refrigerator and everything else I need to make up some fresh blue cheese dressing. Fresh herbs from the patio will add a bit of extra flavor. Sounds good to me....

Blue Cheese Dressing

6-8 Oz. blue cheese crumbled (If you can get you hands on Maytag Blue it is well worth the trouble.)
1 C. Hellman's or other good mayonnaise
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. heavy cream
2 t. tarragon vinegar (made earlier in the summer with fresh herb)
coarse kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all of these ingredients together with a wire whip until smooth with medium lumps of cheese and chill in an air tight container.

Tomato Salad

Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper and torn tarragon leaves top thickly sliced tomatoes.

Pick an attractive or contrasting color for the platter and line it with finely sliced fresh herbs of your liking. I had fresh chives growing so I choose them. Wash and thickly slice your tomatoes across the top of the herbs. Using a coarse salt and freshly ground pepper season the tops of the tomato slices

Sprinkle the tops of the tomato with additional fresh herbs, I choose tarragon because that was the vinegar flavoring in the dressing. Drizzle the salad with the Blue Cheese Dressing and refrigerate until serving time.

This salad would be great any number of ways depending on what you have on hand.  Combined with fresh basil, parsley, and an oil and vinegar dressing and a bit of cheese would be totally great too.