Genoese cundigiun or tomato salad is a dish from traditional Ligurian cuisine, consumed by farmworkers when they returned home during their breaks from work. It is a salad rich in spring and summer garden vegetables, to be eaten from the famous “grillettu”, a large bowl in which the ingredients are mixed to avoid waste.
Theoretically, preparing a good cundigiun would require a garden rich in vegetables such as: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions, basil, green salad vegetables, celery, radishes, green beans, courgettes, cucumbers…
When the vegetables are ripe you can prepare this magnificent salad with the ingredients you like but it must always include tomatoes (nice and ripe!), salad, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
In my version you will find fresh sliced spring onion, celery, cold boiled potatoes and green beans, cubes of goat’s cheese, boiled egg, tuna, Taggiasca olives and anchovy fillets in oil. Before seasoning, add a touch of flavour to the whole dish with a leaf of basil, torn apart by hand. I can’t digest raw garlic but it is fine if you want to rub a bit in the grillettu (salad bowl).
There are two other indispensable ingredients: dry bread soaked in water and vinegar (I use ship’s biscuits) and a good glass of Ligurian white wine… and dinner is served!
Ingredients
Tools
Steps
Boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Drain, pass under cold water and peel. Keep to one side.
In another saucepan boil the green beans and potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces, in lightly salted water.
Cook for about 10 minutes. Then drain and pass under cold water.
Soften the ship’s biscuits slightly in water and vinegar.
Hint: if you cannot find them, you can substitute them with slices of dry homemade bread.
Wash and dry the tomatoes, spring onion, celery and green salad leaves.
Slice the ripe tomatoes, celery and spring onion. Distribute them across the two salad bowls, one per person.
Add the ship’s biscuits, softened and in pieces, the green salad leaves, green beans, potatoes, eggs cut into quarters, tuna, anchovies, olives and cubes of cheese.
Break up the fresh basil leaves above it with your hands. Dress with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt.
Mix and serve… each will eat it inside their grillettu.
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But if you prefer the paper form, I have also published the book Liguria in the kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I saw in the photo that you also used edible flowers…
Yes, I often use them to embellish salads, try daisies, violets, borage…
Varied doses for servings