Roasted Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

Over the weekend I found some ripe cherry tomatoes, and my first thought was to pop them in the oven to intensify all that flavor. Even in the heart of summer, I don’t shy away from the oven. Some people prefer the slow tending of meat over a grill, but I prefer keeping a watchful eye over a sheet full of slowly collapsing tomatoes.

As I popped each one off the vine, I thought of how my father would stop by just to search my overgrown plants for the tomatoes that were ready to be picked, and which I might have missed. Most of the time I didn’t even know he was in the yard. An unexpected knock, and then he would burst into my kitchen with tomatoes tumbling out of his arms and onto my counter. He would neatly arrange them in a line from tiny cherry orbs to plump beefsteaks. Look at all these. You have to remember to pick the tomatoes. I often left them for his hunt.

Of all the ways to enjoy an excess of garden produce, a tomato sandwich was my father’s favorite. Bread, mayo, and salt were a treatment he reserved for sliced homegrown tomatoes or ones from a local farm stand because the whole sandwich becomes entirely underwhelming with a so-so tomato. Likewise for this recipe, use the tastiest you can find. As you turn them into a warm salad with sweet corn, dill, and a sherry vinaigrette, share in the simple appreciation of tomatoes that spent scorching days and rainy days and extra days when they were left unpicked just growing delicious.

Ingredients

1 pound cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
3 ears corn
Chopped fresh dill (at least 1 tablespoon)

Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the sherry vinegar. Arrange the cherry tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet, leaving the excess oil and vinegar in the bowl. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast the tomatoes for about 35 minutes. The bottoms should be lightly caramelized when they are ready to be removed. Adjust time as necessary.

Once the tomatoes are in the oven, prepare the sherry vinaigrette so that it has time to mellow. Whisk the oil and vinegar mixture that is left in the bowl with the honey until they are well-combined. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste and set aside.

When the tomatoes are almost done, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the corn to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove corn from water and set aside.

Remove tomatoes from the oven when done and allow to cool slightly. Next cut the corn kernels from each cob. An easy way to begin is by slicing the bottom of each cob so that it has a flat surface. Stand the corn upright on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut from top to bottom, releasing the kernels. Continue turning the cob and cutting from top to bottom as if the cob has four sides.

Add the kernels to a bowl along with the roasted tomatoes. Drizzle with the sherry vinaigrette (whisk first if it has separated), add the chopped dill, and toss gently to combine. I use plenty of chopped fresh dill when I make this recipe.  Start with 1 tablespoon and add more based on preference.

Serve warm or room temperature.