Tomato-Water Vinaigrette

I first heard of using the water that drains out of tomatoes as an ingredient on The Bitten Word, a now-ended blog.  I think they got the idea from Bon Appetit.  It works in this era of waste-not.  You're supposed to cut tomatoes and leave them overnight to drain.  I saved the drainings from the panelle's coulis to make a dressing for pasta a few days later.

Tomatoes have acid, but not a lot, so you still need to add vinegar to the dressing.  It takes the place of a splash of lemon juice.  Other than that, it's really basic.  The water, olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.  You can add a bit of an herb to suit the dish, but don't go crazy or it will overpower the tomato notes.

Aside from waiting for the tomatoes to drain, this dressing comes together in about 30 seconds.  I didn't actually measure, just used a half-pint jar and eyeballed it.  Pretty sure these measurements are close.

*1/3 C tomato water
2 Tb balsamic vinegar (or lighter vinegar of choice)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C olive oil

1.  To make tomato water, cut several tomatoes and leave in a mesh strainer over a bowl in the fridge overnight.  Or, strain the water from a can of tomatoes through a fine-mesh strainer.  For either method, lining the strainer with cheesecloth will further reduce the solids; it will also reduce the tomato flavor in the finished product.  Decide how tomato-ey you want the water to taste.

2.  Add vinegar and salt to tomato water.  Stir or shake to combine.

3.  Add olive oil.  Seal lid and shake vigorously.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour, to meld flavors.  Shake again before serving.

Makes 1 cup

Difficulty rating  π