Oh the glorious tomato! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…..
I choose a simple salad that makes the tomato the star of the show, as it should be! With just a handful of ingredients one can take the humble tomato and turn it into a super star! In my humble opinion the tomato is the best veg not veg out there.
I am going to start with a basic recipe. Feel free to substitute or add any little thing that your mouth wants. You can’t really get too far wrong.
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 pounds roma tomatoes
4 oz feta cheese
fresh herbs: tarragon, parsley, mint, basil or chives- whatever you have on hand that will match. I wouldn’t use thyme or rosemary as they will change the flavor profile we are looking for.
Thinly slice the red onion into ribbons. Place the onions in a bowl of ice water while you get the other prep finished. The ice water trick is so the onions aren’t quite so bitey! Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Mix the mustard, vinegar, honey, and olive oil in a bowl to make the dressing.
Let’s make a salad!
Drain the red onions and add them to the tomatoes. Give the dressing one last whisk and pour it over the veggies. Toss the kids around so they all get kissed by the dressing! Once you have the veg ready add the cheese and whichever herbs you have and toss gently. Gently!! Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Super simple, super cheap, super tasty!
This salad has the red onions and feta cheese. You could add kalamata olives for an extra bit of zest. Goat cheese would also go nicely with this if you don’t have the feta cheese on hand. Like I said, the herbs you use will take this in whatever direction you want to go with this. The same applies to the cheese you choose. Whether it’s feta, bleu, manchego, or parm, no cheese will lead you wrong.
Long live summer and Happy cooking!!
Ali's Kitchen 