Christmas Wreath Salad with Marinated Sejak Tomatoes
This Christmas wreath salad perfectly fits with the holiday spirit but it tastes great all year round. The marinated Sejak tomatoes themselves can be enjoyed on their own as an appetizer or paired with garlic bread, pasta, etc. Usually basil leaves are used in the marinade but Sejak leaves are a great alternative especially during the winter months when fresh basil is hard to find. The fresh, roasted flavours and the texture of the Sejak leaves play a tasTEA role in the salad!
Ingredients (2-4 servings):
· 1 1/2 tablespoons Sejak
· 20 cherry tomatoes
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar of your choice (I used white peach balsamic vinegar)
· 1 teaspoon honey
· 1 teaspoon lemon juice
· 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
· 1/4 onion, chopped
· 70g green salad of your choice
· 10 mini bocconcini cheese
· 1 avocado, diced
· water
· 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1) Lightly moisten Sejak leaves in 70ºC water for 10-15 seconds. Strain the tea leaves.
2) Remove the stalks from the tomatoes.
3) Using a small paring knife, make a crisscross cut into each tomato.
4) Put enough water to immerse the tomatoes in a pot and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil.
5) When the water boils, add the tomatoes and blanch for only 10 seconds. (Note: If you blanch the tomatoes longer than 10 seconds, they will be mushy.)
6) Cool the tomatoes down with cold running water.
7) Strain the tomatoes.
8) Peel off the skin of the tomatoes. Thanks to the crisscross cut, it's easy for you to peel them.
9) Make a marinade in a bowl with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice and black pepper. (Note: Adjust the amount of balsamic vinegar according to your preference or the type of vinegar you use.)
10) Add chopped onion and moistened Sejak leaves. Mix well.
11) Add the tomatoes into the marinade and gently mix.
12) Move the marinated tomatoes into a container and cool for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before you serve.
13) Place a small condiment bowl in the middle of a salad plate.
14) Add green salad surrounding the condiment bowl.
15) Add bocconcini cheese, marinated tomatoes, and diced avocado onto the salad.
16) Add the rest of the marinated tomatoes into the condiment bowl.
17) Drizzle the remaining marinade over the salad.
Enjoy the tasTEA salad!