Harvest time brings with it the smells and tastes of the garden. The garden is bursting with colors and flavors. And the king of this glorious time of year is the tomato. This fresh tomato salad features that harvest taste perfectly.
How to Choose a Tomato
- Look for a plump heavy tomato that yields slightly when you gently press it. Check if it has any soft spots, if it is too hard or has sort areas, put it aside.
- Many grocery stores add a polish to the tomatoes, so a shiny tomato doesn’t mean it is especially flavorful. Focus on a bright color instead.
- Some heirloom tomatoes, like Capris, are sold in packs. Though they may cost more, during the off season, the flavor is better than the tomatoes in the grocery bins.
- Choose the correct tomato for the job. If you are making salsa, you want a Roma tomato that has less water and seeds than a beefsteak tomato. In the dead of winter, often the cherry or grape tomatoes are the ones that will give you the best taste.
- During the harvest season, choose heirloom varieties or try growing your own.
This simple salad is easy to prepare. It fits well with a variety of cuisines. Serve it with pasta, or steak and potatoes, or even a Mediterranean lamb chop. Other than the tomatoes, which are the real star of the show, the ingredients are most likely already in your pantry.
Fresh Tomato Salad will do double duty
Make sure to save the dressing from this salad with its tomato goodness because it can be used as a vinaigrette for a tender green salad or even a cold pasta salad later in the week. Click here to get the recipe for a tasty warm pasta and vegetable salad.
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Fresh Tomato Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
Description
A fresh tomato salad that is quick and easy to prepare. This salad goes great with all sorts of dishes and cuisines. It has the added feature of the dressing (infused with all the tomato goodness) forms a wonderful vinaigrette that can be used over salad greens or even with a warm or cold pasta salad later in the week.
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (also called golden balsamic vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
Instructions
- Remove cores from tomatoes, then slice tomatoes into 1/4″ slices. Arrange slices in a shallow dish.
- Scatter garlic over tomato slices
- Combine red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper in a small container. Stir well.
- Pour dressing over tomato slices and sprinkle with minced fresh parsley. Let salad rest for 15 minutes for flavors to meld before serving.
- If you want to reserve dressing to use a vinaigrette over salad greens or pasta salad, carefully drain off dressing into a small container before serving and store reserved dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Serve tomato slices with a slotted spoon or tongs.
Notes
Since this salad showcases the flavor of tomatoes, use large, red vine-ripened tomatoes, or splurge on heirloom tomatoes.
This is a composed salad which means the ingredients are arranged rather than tossed. Choose a shallow dish that is big enough so the dressing will not drown the tomato slices.
If reserving the dressing for use as a vinaigrette for another meal (and I strongly suggest you not waste the tomato goodness) it may be necessary to use a slightly damp towel to tidy up the edges of the dish after removing the dressing.
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