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Bon Appétit

Picnic Tomatoes

5.0

(27)

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Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado

Omar Tate, chef-owner of the pop-up dinner series Honeysuckle, calls this simple but high-impact dish “picnic tomatoes” because that’s where his mom always served them. She’d slice thick slabs of juicy heirlooms, slather them with mayo and Italian herbs, then line them up on her antique blue glass platter before leaving the house. In transit, the salt would pull out the tomato’s juices which would then mingle with the mayo. The result was a beautiful mess of juice and cream—kind of like a BLT without the bacon.

Ingredients

8–10 servings

2

lb. heirloom tomatoes (about 3), sliced ¼" thick

Flaky sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

3

Tbsp. mayonnaise

1

Tbsp. coarsely chopped basil

1

Tbsp. coarsely chopped oregano

1

Tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley

2

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season tomatoes with sea salt and pepper. Spread each tomato slice with a thin and even layer of mayonnaise. Arrange dressed tomato slices in an overlapping layer on a large plate.

    Step 2

    Toss basil, oregano, and parsley in a small bowl. Scatter herbs over tomatoes and drizzle with oil.

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Reviews (27)

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  • This was great, loved the herbs! I subbed greek yogurt for mayo to make it a bit healthier and was still absolutely delicious.

    • Anonymous

    • Austin, TX

    • 4/7/2022

  • Really good. Made exactly according to the recipe the first time and it was yummy! The second time I added a clove of crushed garlic and a squirt of lemon juice to the mayo and it was even better.

    • Kim S

    • Minneapolis, MN

    • 7/6/2021

  • Haven't made it yet but I am salivating looking at it.

    • Larry Lawless

    • Palm Springs

    • 6/20/2021

  • A match made in heaven! Tomatoes and mayonnaise. Right up there with peaches in cream.

    • Anonymous

    • Lexington, SC

    • 4/12/2021

  • YES!! What a wonderful use of homegrown tomatoes. My favorite part of a tomato sandwich is usually the tomato/mayo combo, so this is a dream come true. Wouldn't change a thing.

    • Anonymous

    • Indianapolis

    • 9/24/2020

  • Love love love love love. Obviously quality tomatoes weigh heavily into the satisfaction of this recipe - but it offers the same fresh, herby, creamy deliciousness of a caprese salad without being so unoriginal. And it kicks up the umami just a notch, which I love.

    • Anonymous

    • San Diego

    • 8/11/2020

  • As delicious as it is beautiful. The perfect use of tomatoes from the garden.

    • Anonymous

    • Jacksonville, FL

    • 8/10/2020

  • So simple and delicious!! Mayo + juicy tomatoes is a match made in heaven. The best way I’ve seen to honor your beautiful mid-summer tomatoes in all their glory!

    • Anonymous

    • New York, NY

    • 7/24/2020

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