Tomato Salad with Corn and Kalamata Olives
Tomato Salad with Corn and Kalamata Olives – Beautiful heirloom tomatoes, fresh kernels of sweet corn, and briny olives are drizzled with an elegant but simple vinaigrette and topped with basil. This is a prime example of allowing ingredients to shine! Savor this recipe when tomato season reaches its peak.
Tomato Salad with Corn and Kalamata Olives – Indulge in the simplicity of heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, and Kalamata olives in a delectable salad enhanced by a simple champagne vinaigrette. This dish is perfect at the height of tomato season’s abundance and is from Elizabeth Poett’s The Ranch Table.
The buzz at the farmer’s market has shifted. Clusters of shoppers eagerly pick through the gorgeous pears and apples, and tables are covered in masses of grapes, sweet and plump. But somewhat overlooked are the beautiful sunset-hued heirloom tomatoes and the few piles of fresh corn. After a season of summer produce, I guess the novelty of tomatoes and corn has passed.
But the thing is, in this transition from summer to fall, you can find some of the sweetest heirloom tomatoes of the season. Now is the time to savor them before they are gone!
A tomato corn salad may not be the first thing that comes to mind as September leads to October, but I assure you, you must make this before you head into the world of apple, kale, and butternut squash. And this Tomato Corn Salad with Kalamata Olives is a perfect example of enjoying tomatoes at their peak: simple, fresh, and with minimal fuss. The recipe comes from Elizabeth Poett’s newly released cookbook, The Ranch Table (affiliate link).
I welcomed Elizabeth to the podcast to discuss how her book shares recipes from a year on the historic ranch, from harvests, celebrations, and family dinners. She has a love for each season, and this recipe was one of many that I cooked from her book. It exemplifies the best of California cooking – keeping things simple, enjoying ingredients at their peak, and while they are in season.
How to Make Tomato Salad with Corn and Kalamata Olives
I can’t stress enough how simple this tomato salad is. Start with a combination of juicy heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Large rounds of heirloom tomatoes will be the base of the salad. Then, it’s all about embracing texture; slice the remaining heirloom tomatoes into wedges, halve some of the cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives, and scatter these with some whole cherry tomatoes and olives on top of the tomato base.
Now for the corn — when corn is ripe and plump, it’s delicious raw off the cob. Slice the corn kernels off the cob and sprinkle it over the delicious mess of tomatoes and olives. It adds a delightful crunch and another level of sweetness!
Finally, let’s talk about the tomato salad dressing. The champagne vinaigrette is easy to make; all you need is to pour the olive oil, champagne vinegar, honey, salt, mustard, and pepper in a jar and seal it tightly. Shake the jar until the dressing is fully emulsified. If you don’t stock champagne vinegar in your pantry, you can use red wine vinegar; however, I highly recommend adding this to your arsenal. It’s one of my favorite vinegars to use in a dressing!
Drizzle the dressing over the tomato, corn, and olives, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and garnish with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Listen to the Podcast with Elizabeth Poett
For more fresh, California-inspired recipes, check out my interview with Elizabeth Poett in Episode 80 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast!
The Ranch Table, by Elizabeth Poett (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2023).
More Tomato Salad Recipes
Avocado Corn Tomato Salad
Tomato, Corn and Nectarine Chickpea Salad
Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes
More Savory Tomato Recipes
Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Herb Soup
Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes
Tomato and Mozzarella Ravioli with Tomatoes, Baby Kale and Artichokes
Tomato Ricotta Galette
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of The Ranch Table to review for the Kitchen Confidante Podcast Episode 80 with Elizabeth Poett. All opinions are, of course, my own. The post may have affiliate links; see my Disclosure page to learn more.
Tomato Salad with Corn and Kalamata Olives
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 5 medium-large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 cup mixed cherry tomatoes
- 12 kalamata olives
- 1 large ear corn
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Small handful basil springs with flowers attached, if you have them
For the Champagne Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Salad
- Cut 3 of the heirloom tomatoes in 1/2-inch-thick slices and lay them on a large platter. Cut the remaining 2 heirloom tomatoes into large wedges and arrange them on top of the slices.
- Cut half of the cherry tomatoes and some of the kalamata olives in half and scatter both the cut and the uncut tomatoes and olives on top of the larger tomatoes.
- Cut the kernels off the corn ear and sprinkle them on top of the tomatoes, eating them fall between the slices.
Dress the salad
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, mustard, and pepper in a jar and seal it tightly. Shake the jar until the dressing is fully emulsified.
- Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes, corn, and olives Scatter the Parmesan generously over the top of the salad and tuck basil leaves – individual leaves, small springs, and some flowering sprigs, if you have them — into the salad in whatever way looks nicest.
Notes
Comments
COOKBOOK
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This salad sounds perfect for summer! I love how the sweet corn and briny olives balance each other. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite this time of year. Can’t wait to try the champagne vinaigrette!
@Classroom 4xThis is a fresh, colorful salad that combines juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, and briny Kalamata olives for a mix of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. It’s simple to prepare and works well as a side dish or light meal.
This tomato salad sounds vibrant and refreshing! Corn and Kalamata olives are perfect together. play brush Jjaemu
This recipe has such a calm, seasonal vibe to it—fresh ingredients, simple prep, nothing rushed. It actually reminds me how much atmosphere changes the experience of cooking. Lately I’ve been using text to song AI to generate light background music tailored to whatever I’m doing in the kitchen. It sounds a bit extra, but having a custom-made track really makes simple recipes like this feel more immersive and enjoyable.
This salad really captures the idea of “let the ingredients speak for themselves,” which is something I’ve been thinking about a lot in creative work too. Even in visual design or content creation, simplicity often wins when the foundation is strong. I’ve been experimenting with NanoMaker AI recently to generate visual concepts and ideas before actually building projects—it’s surprisingly useful for quickly testing styles, compositions, or even food presentation ideas like this before bringing them into real life.
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This recipe actually feels like a good “reset meal”—fresh, clean, and not overworked. It’s funny how I sometimes pair that kind of simplicity with similarly light mental breaks like word puzzles. I’ve been using wordle infinite lately, just to keep the brain active between tasks while cooking or writing.
The mix of textures here—juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, briny olives—is really well balanced. It reminded me of how I usually switch between cooking and quick competitive games to unwind. One I keep going back to is basketball bros, just for fast casual matches when I don’t have much time but still want something engaging.
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Really appreciate how this recipe focuses on peak-season produce without overcomplicating anything. I’ve been trying to build more “cooking mood” playlists lately, and it’s interesting how food prep changes with the right background sound. Tools like text to song AI make it easy to generate custom tracks that match the vibe of cooking—especially for relaxed, seasonal recipes like this.
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I like how you mentioned using a mix of heirloom tomato slices as the base and then adding wedges and cherry tomatoes for texture, it makes the salad sound way more interesting than just chopping everything together. I’ve only ever tossed mine in a bowl, so now I kinda want to try plating it like thatperler bead pattern maker
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Honestly, I never thought of using champagne vinegar in salad dressing, but this sounds divine! The parmesan and basil really elevate a simple tomato salad. I can already imagine serving this alongside some grilled chicken. Thanks for the tip about red wine vinegar as a substitute – that’s super helpful for when I’m running low. Sharing this with friends who love papa’s games and good food!
Heardle and the music community
heardle is not just a game but also a way for players to connect with music and music lovers around the world. The game helps players discover new songs, review familiar melodies, and expand their knowledge of music.
works for me, tomato basil is always a lovely pair and in a salad, even better, thank you!
Tomatoes and basil are definitely made for one another!
Absolutely delicious salad. I made it today, and I regret not making more (I don’t know how to store it, or if it’s even recommended.) Kalamata olives give it a twist! I could imagine it with another cheese, e.g. pecorino or san sago.
Hi Denisa! I’m so glad that you loved the salad — it’s definitely one that I find tastes best when made fresh. Thankfully it’s easy enough to make quickly! And yes, other cheeses like pecorino would be fantastic!
Can’t you store it in the fridge? I’m planning to make it as well, but since we’re a big family and it’s hard to know how much to prepare. If I make too much, I might need to store it in the fridge.