Kylie Kwong's Lively Tomato Salad

One day when my eldest was about six, she was unwell and convinced me that she was too ill to go to school. I can't remember what was wrong exactly, but I didn't feel she was so sick she had to stay home. You see, I had a ticket for a Kylie Kwong cooking class that I wanted to go to. I also reasoned that exposing my daughters to smart, successful women, especially those working in non-traditional fields, was a good thing. My daughter sat very quietly and absorbed the whole thing, tasting along with me, kingfish sushi served with pickled vegetables, soft-boiled duck eggs (with prawns?), and a fantastic fried rice. Apart from the delicious tidbits, there was hopefully a bit of life education for her there as well. If nothing else, a fond memory for me.

So I like Kylie Kwong for more than just her great recipes. This tomato salad comes from her book "Heart and Soul" - which also features the world's most fabulous fig and raspberry cake. The tomato salad is easy and incredibly tasty - just the thing for a summer side salad. I love that it is called a "lively salad". Kylie (can't imagine calling her Ms Kwong) serves it with fried fish. I serve it with just about anything through the summer months. It is the sort of salad that is perfect to make after a trip to the farmer's market or when you have been seduced by a gorgeous selection of tomatoes at the greengrocers. And it tastes even better the next day - an amazing juicy mixture of tomato and citrus flavours, so definitely hang onto the leftovers. And one apology - sadly, I couldn't get a green tomato today or the colours would be even prettier.

Lively Tomato Salad

adapted from "Heart and Soul" by Kylie Kwong

NB - The tomatoes listed here are suggestions only - play around with whatever you can get locally.

1 vine-ripened tomato chopped roughly

1 ox-heart tomato chopped roughly

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls lemon juice

2 tsps lime juice

10 yellow pear tomatoes halved

10 cherry tomatoes halved

1 green tomato roughly sliced

Mash the vine-ripened and ox-heart tomatoes gently until you see juices starting to appear. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Pour in olive oil, lemon and lime juices and mix well. Stir in remaining tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.