London Calling: Tomato Couscous Salad

In all of London, the place I most want to visit is not Buckingham Palace or Westminster or Piccadilly. My first stop will be Ottolenghi.


Ottolenghi is an amazing food empire and its owner, Yotem, also writes a column for a London newspaper. Yotem has a way with vegetables and grains that reveals a love of the entire Mediterranean as well as his Middle Eastern roots. I have fallen hard for so many of his ideas, including this Tomato Couscous salad, which appears in his cookbook, Plenty. (He calls it Tomato Party) I modified it a bit because we have a few who don't care for mint in savory dishes. Served warm or at room temperature, it pairs happily with anything off the grill. In fact, this was fantastic eaten with grilled Asian chicken in the company of five wonderful friends as we toasted our promotion to a "certain age" in the lovely town of Fairfield. London will just have to wait.

PS This salad stands on its own, especially if you toss in feta, goat cheese, or mozzarella - and add a lavishly buttered bread.

Ingredients
3/4 cup plain couscous
salt
olive oil
2/3 cup boiling water
3 - 4 medium tomatoes quartered then cut each quarter in half (use a mix of red and yellow if possible)
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups grape tomatoes
fresh basil - chopped, about 2 tablespoons
fresh chive - chopped, about 1 tablespoon

Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put couscous in bowl and pour boiling water over. Stir and add a good tablespoon of olive oil and pinch of salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (you can use a small sauce pan with a well-fitted lid if easier), set aside for 12 minutes, and then fluff the grains with a fork.

Take your cut sections of the larger tomatoes and place gently in a large bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, brown sugar, pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Combine gently with your hands to make sure each section is covered. Use a slotted spoon to place tomatoes sections on a foiled-covered baking sheet. Leave left-over balsamic & juices in the mixing bowl for later use. Roast the tomatoes sections in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once 10 minutes are up, turn oven to 400 degrees and remove the baking sheet. On the empty side of the sheet, place 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes. Season with a bit of salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Return baking sheet to oven and roast for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Add the couscous, roasted tomatoes (and any juices from cooking), and the remaining 1 cup of halved, uncooked grape tomatoes to the mixing bowl with the balsamic-y liquid. Gently combine all the tomatoes and couscous, adding more olive oil and salt & pepper as needed. Another splash of balsamic is not out of the question either. If you plan to serve right away, add your chopped basil and chives. If serving later in the day, wait an hour or so before your meal to add your fresh herbs.