Tomato and Basil Salad
There are going to be a lot of tomatoes in your boxes over the next month or two, so I wanted to share this recipe, which really allows the deep, rich flavor of a garden ripened tomato to shine. I’ve said this a couple of times already, and I’ll probably repeat myself again, but if you’ve tried this with tomatoes from the store in the past and been unimpressed, I urge you to try it again with my tomatoes. It will be an entirely different experience.
This dish can be used as a starter, or a quick lunch served with crusty bread for mopping up the oil and vinegar.
Ingredients
1 large ripe tomato per person
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil, drizzled. Use good quality extra virgin for best results
Balsamic vinegar, drizzled
Salt and pepper to taste.
Method
Slice the tomato into thin rounds, not more than 1/4 inch thick. For presentation purposes it is best to slice the tomato across it’s core, rather than down the side. You can see from the photo at the top what I mean.
Arrange the tomato slices on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you have garlic salt, even better.
Now drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. I don’t give specific measurements for this because it’s a matter of taste. You can drizzle lightly or generously depending on whether you’re aiming for maximum flavor or minimum calories. It’s probably best to start lightly and you can add more after serving if desired.
Stack your basil leaves together and slice them into thin ribbons, being as delicate as possible to preserve the oils in the leaf that deliver the flavor. Avoid chopping the same piece of leaf multiple times into lots of small pieces.
Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes and serve. You can also add sliced mozzarella if you want to make this into a full Caprese salad, but it’s not necessary.