This week I happened upon these orphaned tomatoes at a local farmer’s market. The ajumma needed some convincing to sell them to me because she said, they were “no good”.  No good my eye! They may be all differnt shapes and colours but there is no mistaking the look of tomatoes right off the vine. When you have managed to score some great hand-grown local produce like this the last thing you want to do is mess with their natural flavour. In fact the best recipe for fruit like this is a dash of salt. But given that my basil and mint are coming in and I still have jars full of cranberry beans I bought earlier this summer, its the perfect occasion of a tomato salad. If you don’t have a herb garden or you can’t find herbs in the store (in Seoul try Hannam Market or the Shinsaegae downtown, in Daegu try Sugar Joe’s pub, in Busan also try the big Shinsaegae Departments store) you can always use the inner leaves of celery which are brimming with flavors that compliment tomatoes and beans. This salad also goes well with a ball of mozzarella which you can get at any Costco and some Emarts. I also recommend a nice piece of grilled bread to sop up the juices. Cranberry beans are really easy to find, in the farmers market or department stores dried or fresh.  You can also used any other beans you happen to have handy.

1 kilo of  mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colours

Fresh mint and basil leaves (or the inner leaves from a celery bunch)

A good pinch dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves of garlic

Red wine or sherry vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated

1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped

2 cups of cranberry beans, cooked and cooled

salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans over night if they are dried and then boil them in about three times as much water with salt, bay leaf, rosemary, red pepper and garlic. Cook until tender but not mushy and let cool in the boiling liquid.

Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size and season generously with salt and toss in a mixing bowl. Leave the tomatoes for about 15 minutes to let salt pull out all the juices.

Transfer them to bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the grated garlic and the chile. Add the cooled beans and toss with the dressing

Garnish with the fresh herbs or celery and serve with grilled bread and mozzarella balls.

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