Tomato and cucumber salad with sweet and salty tahini dressing

Simple Too, p. 243

Increasingly, we’ve been adding fermented ingredients to our salads, particularly those with tomatoes. Soy, vinegar, fish sauce, black garlic, miso, cheese – they all amplify the natural umaminess of tomatoes. You should really remember this trick: you’ll find that suddenly a pretty average tomato tastes like a perfectly ripe Italian crop picked at the height of summer. We’ve made a quick chilli and dukkah oil to drizzle on top to add texture and heat, but if you have any of the Middle Eastern chilli crisp (p. 293), this is the ideal option. Getting ahead: The salad can be all chopped and the dressing made in advance (the dressing keeps for 3 days), but don’t assemble it until pretty close to eating.