In the kitchen with Carrie Shores, exec chef of Table 6: summer heirloom tomato salad

"This heirloom tomato salad represents me as a chef, pure and simple," says Carrie Shores, exec chef of Table 6 and the subject of this week's Chef and Tell interview. The salad, a dish on the restaurant's current menu "is how I eat every day, and now is the perfect time to make use of the state's tummy tomatoes," she adds, noting it's a "perfect celebration of summer." Included, too, is a recipe for the gluten-free kalamata olive flatbread at Table 6. "The dough is so versatile that it'll become a staple in your kitchen, even for people who typically don't eat a gluten-free diet," insists Shores.

See also: Carrie Shores, chef of Table 6: "Learn to expand your horizons"

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad with Yogurt Cheese and Kalamata Olive Flatbread 3 servings

Yogurt Cheese

1 quart plain organic yogurt (Nancy's brand is recommended) Cheesecloth Salt Pepper Olive oil

1. Place two layers of cheesecloth inside of a strainer set over a bowl with at least four inches between the top of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl. 2. Pour yogurt over the cheesecloth and let drain in the refrigerate for at least 3 days and up to 5 for a richer, firmer tasting cheese. 3. Remove cheese from strainer and slice off your preferred portion size.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

7 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (available at Whole Foods) 4 1/2 cups potato starch (not potato flour) 2 1/2 cups cornstarch 1 tablespoon xantham gum (available at Whole Foods) 3/4 cup rice flour

Place all ingredients in a big mixing bowl and whisk until completely mixed together. Store in an air-tight container.

Gluten-Free Flatbread Dough Preheat oven to 400 degrees

4 cups gluten-free flour mix 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon xantham gum 3/4 cup potato starch 2 cups warm water 1 1/2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (when using rapid rise yeast, you don't need to bloom it in water) 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 large egg 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together until thoroughly mixed. 2. Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients in a slow stream. The dough will seem wet, but that's the nature of gluten-free dough. 3. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, you can add a little more flour mix until it reaches a soft dough consistency. 4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until chilled. 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper sprinkled lightly with gluten-free cornmeal and roll out the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, remembering to go easy on the salt since the olives have salt of their own. 6. Place chopped olives on top of dough and press them into the flatbread with your rolling pin. 7. Remove parchment paper and bake dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove dough from oven and cut into desired shapes while still hot.

Herb Vinaigrette

¾ cup salad oil (grapeseed oil is preferred, but any neutral flavored oil will work) ¼ cup white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Mix oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Add herbs, season with salt and pepper and whisk until incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Tomato Salad

1 pound local heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3 tablespoons herb vinaigrette 1 small bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Assembling the Salad

1. Toss the tomatoes and parsley with the herb vinaigrette in a small bowl add salt and pepper to taste. 2. Arrange tomatoes evenly on one side of each plate. 3. Place a piece of yogurt cheese on the middle of each plate and drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 4. Top with the olive flatbread.