Cook Like: Adam Eaton at Saint Dinette


photos by tj turner

The newly opened saint dinette in Lowertown, St. Paul, toes the line between upscale and down-home. It’s a New World French-inspired eatery with a lot of fine dining touches, but the food is approachable and friendly.

Saint Dinette’s heirloom tomato salad recipe exemplifies that overall approach: It looks simple, but it packs a lot of flavor into its straightforward composition. The secret is its chermoula dressing, a North African–inspired spiced marinade that brings acid and depth to the plate. Using smoked cottage or ricotta cheese will increase the impact of the dish.

Saint Dinette’s Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

Chermoula Dressing:
    1    Tbsp. sweet paprika
    1    Tbsp. ground caraway
    3    Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    2    cloves garlic, minced
    1    tsp. sea salt
    1    tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
    ¼    c. extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine dry ingredients with lemon juice
and whisk in olive oil.

Salad assembly:
    ¼     c. ricotta or cottage cheese
    3    medium-size heirloom tomatoes
    2    oz. tangy fresh salad greens such as mizuna or
        sorrel (for a cool, spicy bite, try arugula or nasturtium)

1. Rinse and core tomatoes and slice into wedges. Distribute evenly on four plates.
2. Evenly distribute cheese over plated tomatoes, then divide greens into even portions and arrange each on a plate.
3. Generously dress each assemblage with chermoula dressing. (Pairs well with sparkling wine such as prosecco or cava.)