A Tomato and �Dirt� Salad You�ll Really Dig

It�s not unusual for me to steal a recipe idea from a local restaurant, but it�s not everyday that I�m inspired by something I eat at a bowling alley. This happened recently at the Mission Bowling Club, a fun and funky, six-lane bowling alley located just a few blocks from our home, which despite the cacophony, features some of the City�s best bites.

In addition to an otherworldly fried chicken appetizer, and a �granulated,� aged beef burger some (including my wife Michele) consider the best in the City, the MBC also features daily specials, and one such offering was described as an �heirloom tomato salad topped with a crispy rye crumble.�

That sounded great to us, and our server vouched for its excellence, so we happily included it among our starters. What we didn�t know at the time, was that our server had defied the kitchen and refused to use the dish�s official name, �tomatoes and dirt.�

She made this stunning admission as we raved about its deliciousness, and admitted to going rogue and changing the name because she just didn�t think that �dirt� sounded appetizing. What?! I thought this plate of tomatoes and �dirt� was just about the most creative thing I�d heard/seen/tasted in a while.

I was this close to going into that kitchen, ratting her out, and maybe getting a free dessert for my trouble, but thought better of it, and decided to quietly finish the salad, knowing that I would share it here, dirty name and all.  Anyway, this is my version, and I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Small Portions:

8 oz burrata cheese, or fresh ricotta

Enough freshly sliced tomatoes for 4 portions

Wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Fresh sliced basil leaves

For the crumbs:

2 tbsp olive oil, more if needed

3 large brown mushrooms, minced fine

big pinch of salt

3 slices of dark rye, made into crumbs

1 rounded tablespoon ground almonds (aka almond meal, almond flour, or just crush your own)