Shrimp and Tomato Salad
It’s only June and already as hot as – well, August. It’s off and on rainy too so it’s hard to make dinner plans that include summertime grilling outside. I don’t know about you but it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut with dinner plans. I decided to seek inspiration at the Farmer’s Market close by and that was a lucky move. They had just gotten some beautiful and interesting tomatoes that were irresistible. I didn’t want to heat up our house by doing heavy cooking, but we have had an awful lot of tomato sandwiches lately, and something new needed to make the menu. A Shrimp and Tomato Salad filled that bill. I cooked the shrimp for exactly 2 minutes and immediately transferred them to ice water and turned off the stove. Not too much heat involved.
It’s so nice to have garden herbs to pick this time of year and I settled on chives and tarragon, although dill or basil could replace the tarragon and green onions could replace the chives. After that, it was a quick couple of minutes to put together a beautiful dinner. I dressed some arugula, sliced the tomatoes, and I might have poured a glass of wine for this elegant meal. So simple so pretty and so perfect for a summer night. Enjoy!
Shrimp and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
1 lb small shrimp, shelled and deveined (51-60 count)
1 lemon, halved
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp Old Bay divided
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon (less if using dried)
1 Tbsp chopped chives
2 sticks of celery, chopped fine – use leaves for extra flavor
1/4 cup mayonnaise (more as needed)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tomatoes, sliced – peeled if you want to
Arugula tossed with oil and vinegar – optional
Directions
Fill a bowl large enough to hold shrimp with ice and water.
Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.
Squeeze the lemon and add halves to the water along with 1 tsp Old Bay and 1 Tsp salt.
Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Immediately plunge the shrimp in ice and water.
Mix herbs and celery in a bowl.
Chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl, stirring in mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp Old Bay, and mustard.
Taste and add more seasoning as necessary. (I love Old Bay and add ½ tsp more.)
Chill for an hour or up to 2 hours.
Plate tomatoes adding salt and pepper along with the salad and arugula.
Yum!
