Heirloom Tomato Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, of various colors and sizes
1/4 cup fresh goat cheese
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons stone ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar (you can also use red wine vinegar as a substitute for sherry vinegar)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Start with the vinaigrette to give the flavors time to blend. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, garlic, both mustards, honey, and vinegar.
Once the ingredients are fully combined, slowly pour in the olive oil while continuously mixing the vinaigrette to emulsify.
Set aside the vinaigrette. Tip: You can store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; you won't need to use all of it for the recipe.
Slice the larger heirloom tomatoes and quarter or chop the remaining tomatoes to create various sizes and textures on the plate. Arrange the tomatoes on a platter. Tip: Never keep tomatoes in the refrigerator. Doing so will take away flavor and aroma from the tomato, and leave you with an inferior product. Instead, store tomatoes at room temperature.
Hand crumble the goat cheese and dot the tomatoes.
Strip the thyme leaves from the stems and sprinkle liberally over the platter.
Spoon a small amount of the vinaigrette over the platter and serve.