Passero Corto Tomato Citrus Salad (Recipe)

To celebrate the start of summer, The Forks—Winnipeg’s must-visit travel destination, and a hot bed of culinary culture—has turned to some of its best restaurants to provide summertime recipes we can make and enjoy at home … including Passero Bistro‘s Corto Tomato Citrus Salad, inspired by the dog days of summer, when the fresh basil and tomatoes are ready for picking and the citrus fruit is at its very best. Chef Scott Bagshaw has always exemplified the importance of aggressive seasoning while still managing to balance flavours. The sweet, sour and slightly spicy Calabrian vinaigrette brings the entire dish together, marrying the sweetness of the citrus and fresh tomatoes, with the richness of the crème fraiche and buffalo mozzarella. Enjoy! —Vita Daily

Calabrian Chili Dressing Ingredients:

250 ml canola oil

75 ml red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Calabrian chili powder

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 small onion, diced

15 ml honey

15 ml white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper


Crème Fraiche Ingredients:

250 ml 35% heavy cream
60 ml 3.25% buttermilk


Salad Assembly Ingredients:

1 l fresh tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup Calabrian chili dressing
2 tbsp crème fraiche
1 grapefruit, segmented

1 orange, segmented

1 piece buffalo mozzarella
8-10 large leaves of basil, torn
1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft and translucent and then cool to room temperature. When the onion is cool, add red wine vinegar, chili powder, Dijon, honey, sugar and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Puree together until homogenous, about 45 seconds. With the blender running, slowly start to drizzle in all of the canola oil. Mix together heavy cream and buttermilk with a spatula in a clean container. Cover with cheesecloth. The mixture will thicken in 3-4 days depending on room’s temperature and humidity. When the whey separates and the cream is thick, strain through fresh cheesecloth in a strainer for 3-4 hours, or overnight (the longer you strain, the thicker the crème fraiche will be). Toss tomatoes with dressing and let marinate for 5-10 minutes. Swipe crème fraiche across the edge of your salad bowl.
 Place tomatoes in the bottom of the bowl. 
Scatter orange and grapefruit segments overtop the tomatoes. Tear buffalo mozzarella and scatter amongst the citrus. Season cheese with a bit of salt and pepper.
Finish salad with cold pressed olive oil and fresh basil.