Tomato Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 20 minutes

F

Sheer delight, especially if you use a mixture of several different colored tomatoes at the peak of summer. Hard-boiled eggs add a nice chew and heft — and you can always double the quantity to make the dish even more substantial — but I also like the variations, when the runny yolks mingle with the dressing and coat everything with a rich creaminess.

• 4 eggs
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups lightly mixed greens or all bitter greens (like dandelion or frisée)
• ¼ cup Mustard Vinaigrette (page 631), plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 5 or 6 fresh tomatoes (preferably a colorful variety of heirlooms), cut into wedges
• 2 cups croutons (to make your own, see page 678)

1. Hard-boil the eggs according to the directions on page 521. When the eggs have cooled to room temperature, peel and quarter them.
2. Put the shallots and greens in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Put the dressed greens on individual serving plates or a platter. Top with the tomato wedges, eggs, and croutons. Drizzle with a little extra dressing and serve.

Tomato Salad with Poached Eggs Prepare and dress the salad first and put it on individual serving plates or shallow bowls, omitting the croutons. Poach the eggs according to the recipe on page 525. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Top each serving of salad with an egg.

Tomato Salad with Fried Eggs Prepare and dress the salad first and put it on individual serving plates or shallow bowls, omitting the croutons. Fry the eggs according to the recipe on page 524. Top each serving of salad with an egg.