Recipe: Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I love heirloom tomatoes, but I’ll admit I’m not very knowledgable about them. Hopefully that will change someday.

Last week at The Old Town Market in Rock Hill I purchased a variety of tomatoes: small, large, yellow, red, multi-colored. I hate chosing to purchase from one farmer over another, so I went table to table buying the most interesting looking tomato that each one had. In my desire to be equitable, I ended up with quite a mess of tomatoes.

What I do know about tomatoes is they taste fantastic with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. Add in come salty, crisp bacon and smooth, creamy avocado and the flavors get even better. Through in some chicken and you’ve got yourself a satisfying meal for a summer evening.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette (recipe source- Bon Appetit Oct 1997)

• 7 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute until golden. Transfer to a blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until thoroughly combined.