Multicolor Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio

Friday October 3, 2008 :: by Ingrid

Here we are, it’s fall, it’s October, and I’m posting another heirloom tomato recipe. It’s not my fault. It seems heirloom tomatoes have an extended [late] season here in California. Believe me I’m not complaining. I find these beauties irresistible and just have to pick up a bunch. I’ve made many raw recipes using a variety of tomatoes and wanted to try something new, and then I thought ~ carpaccio.

Carpaccio is an Italian dish, traditionally made of very thin slices of raw beef. Here I made a vegan version of this classic Italian dish, using the gorgeous ripe colorful heirloom tomatoes pictured above. Making this carpaccio is simple, it’s a matter of thinly slicing the tomatoes. Also, any number of fruits or vegetables would make a great vegan carpaccio.

Carpaccio is generally served as an appetizer and is usually dressed up with olive oil, capers, and pine seeds but you can get creative using different flavors [fresh onions, garlic, shallots, olives, capers, lemon, lime], and herbs and spices [basil, rosemary, chives, tarragon, oregano, pepper, parsley]. You can use any type of chopped or whole nuts and seeds in place of pine nuts.

So, if heirloom tomatoes are still available in your area, make sure to take advantage and make this easy and delicious dish.

Multicolor Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio

The trick to this tasty dish is slicing the tomatoes ultra-thin.

Thinly sliced each tomato. Arrange the tomatoes in a roll on a platter keeping like color together, or arrange the tomatoes, alternating colors, in concentric circles on a platter or individual plates.

Thinly slice red onions using a mandoline and sprinkle the red onion over the tomato slices. Mince the garlic cloves and sprinkle atop. Next stack the basil leaves atop each other, roll tightly from one end to the other, and slice crosswise to make thin strips. Sprinkle the basil strips and pine nuts over the tomatoes and onions, drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

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7 Comments so far

1. Zara on October 4, 2008 Saturday, 7:50 am

   The tomatoes are stunning on their own and the beads of water on them look cool. This dish looks delish!

   Zara - Thank you!

2. Isle Dance on October 5, 2008 Sunday, 9:00 am

   I think I need to make this now. :o)

   Isle Dance - you can’t go wrong with fresh tomatoes. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

3. Hannah on October 5, 2008 Sunday, 10:39 am

   Ingrid, this looks delicious–veggie carpaccio is one of my favorite new things and the tomatoes are still plentiful here too, so I’ll definitely try it out!

   Hannah - If you are into veggie carpaccio, then you must try this recipe. Thanks for the link to your version of veggie carpaccio. I like the combination of zucchini and cucumbers. Yum!

4. Marilyn on October 6, 2008 Monday, 8:15 am

   This dish looks so appetizing, I think I could eat the entire platter! Have you found that each heirloom has its own distinctive flavor? I love the striped ones and the dark purple. They are so rich and meaty. Next year I’m going to try growing these myself, as the fresh off the vine have a much more pungent taste.

   Hi Marilyn - Yes, I have noticed each colorful heirloom tomato has its own distinctive flavor. Have you tried the greens heirloom tomatoes? At first glance, one would think these aren’t ripe, but they are, and they are delicious.

5. Coffee & Vanilla on October 8, 2008 Wednesday, 2:13 am

   Wow, that looks amazing, I love all kind of tomatoes, in a salad or just to bite it like apple, sprinkled with a little bit of salt!

   Margot

   Hi Margot - Thank you! I have definitely become a huge fan of heirloom tomatoes. I wrote a couple posts starring these delicious beauties on my other site Natural Living Cuisine - Summer Tomatoes and Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes. Thanks for stopping by.

6. hihorosie on October 24, 2008 Friday, 9:38 pm

   My hubby made something similar to this for me a few times (we usually added some dashes of balsamic vinegar) and mmm mmm good! Your presentation is beautiful.

   Hi Heidi! - Thanks for the compliment. Your version with dashes of balsamic vinegar sounds lovely. Heirloom tomatoes are still selling abundantly here so we are eating them almost everyday! They are so beautiful and so delicious.

7. jd on December 3, 2008 Wednesday, 12:29 am

   Wow - what pretty photos!

   This post really makes me miss the summer… *sigh*

   I look forward to trying your simple (& delicious-sounding) recipe when tomatoes are back in season for me!

   Hi JD - This morning my husband and I went to produce shop. Heirloom tomatoes are still going strong here in California, and as beautiful and delicious as they are, I’m finding that I’m not craving them as much. I hope you will enjoy this recipe when tomatoes are back in season in your area.