Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Basil Puree:
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
  Smoked Tomato Sorbet:
• 7 pounds Roma tomatoes, split in half lengthwise, seeds
• & pulp reserved
• ½ cup salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup ground white pepper
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 Tablespoon ground cayenne
  
  Lemon Vinaigrette:
• ½ cup lemon juice, strained
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup grapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Basil Seed Gelée:
• 2 cups rehydrated basil seeds
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 Thai chili, split
• 2 drops basil essential oil
• 6 sheets gelatin
  
  Grilled Manouri:
• 1 pound Manouri cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  Tomato Salad:
• 2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes
• 1 ounce micro basil
• 3 ounces baby arugula

Method:
For the Basil Puree:
Blanch basil & spinach in salted boiling water. Shock in ice bath. Squeeze out water and rough chop. lace garlic, sugar and oive oil in blender and make paste. dd basil and spinach and puree until smooth in vita prep. dd extra oil if needed to help move puree in vita prep.
Season with salt.

For the Smoked Tomato Sorbet:
Mix salt, sugar & pepper together and spread on sheet pan. Place tomatoes skin side down & sprinkle with some of mixture. Place tomatoes in convection oven with just fan on, overnight. Remove tomatoes from oven & peel off skin. In a stove top smoker, place 1 cup hickory chips and let smoke for 5 min. Place tomatoes in smoker on low for 5 min. Remove tomatoes and puree in vita prep mixer. Season puree with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add 2 cups water and 1 cup simple syrup to 1 qt of tomato base. Spin in ice cream machine for 15 min. Place in freezer.

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
Incorporate Dijon, honey & lemon in bowl. Slowly whisk in both oils.
Season salt & pepper. Strain through chinois.

For the Basil Seed Gelée:
Bloom gelatin in water. Heat simple syrup with chili & strain.
Combine all other ingredients and set. When set cut in desired shape.

For the Manouri:
Slice Manouri cheese 1 in thick and lightly coat with oil & season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cross hatch. Remove from grill and chill in refrigerator.

To Assemble:
Cut heirloom tomatoes into desired shapes and lightly toss with lemon vinaigrette, salt & pepper. Place a nice stack in corner of rectangle plate and place small triangle piece of manouri cheese on top. Place arugula on top with a couple of pieces of micro basil. Place a dollop of basil puree on plate next to tomato stack and pull spoon through it. Place a rectangle cut piece of basil seed gelee next to basil puree. Place a small amount of micro basil on top of gelee. Place small quenelle of smoked tomato sorbet on top of micro basil.

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