Vietnamese Tomato Salad

Name: Vietnamese Tomato Salad
Ingredients: ¼ cup sugar; ¼ cup fish sauce (preferably Red Boat or Three Crabs); ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 1 Persian or kirby cucumber, halved lengthwise, sliced into half-moons; 1 Hungarian wax, Jimmy Nardello, or green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced; 1 small shallot, thinly sliced; 1½ lb. mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved if small, cut into wedges if large; 2 cups coarsely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as dill, cilantro, and/or Thai basil); Freshly ground black pepper; ⅓ cup crushed salted dry-roasted peanuts; ⅓ cup store-bought fried shallots