Delicious discoveries - United States of America

Throughout the menus of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival there is a smorgasbord of unique flavors and fantastic pairings. Whether from the meticulous crafting of a classic sauce or the clever use of a disparaged ingredient, the mouth-watering dishes always leave guests seeking seconds. Today’s small meal, however, proves that simple can still be delicious.

Featured in the back of the United States of America stall is a tube filled with fresh, plump tomatoes of every size and color, from rotund purple to petite green, just waiting to be diced. The tomatoes are chunked and sliced and arranged on a plate so that the full assortment of tomatoes can be tasted. The dish is known as the Heirloom Tomatoes with Oregon Blue Cheese, Red Onions, and Basil, and as complex as the name implies, the concoction could not be any simpler to compose or enjoy.

The blue cheese from Oregon is rich, but not overpowering, while the red onions add a crisp, crunchy zing to the combination. As for the basil, the fragrant herb brings all the individual elements together with distinctive aroma and leaves that snap. Above all, the variety of tomatoes, juicy and fleshy, is the reason to sample this dish.

Beautifully arranged on a small plate, the wealth of tastes in the Heirloom Tomatoes would be more fitting in larger portions in a salad basin. The protein provided by the blue cheese, combined with the fresh grown tomatoes, onions, and basil, serves up a slice of the United States society of agriculture seen in our farmer’s markets and on kitchen tables from coast to coast. A simple, yet satisfying dish that is sure to appease any palate that gives it a chance.