Heirloom Tomato Salad
That’s one gorgeous salad!
We moved out to the country when I was in the third grade. It was in the middle of the school year and I remember being so scared to go to a new school. My folks were really excited about country living and after a while, that little house in Yankton, OR became a home.
Our house was a one bedroom/bath but there were renovations in store as the plan was to turn the garage into bedrooms for my brother and I. In the meantime, we slept in the dining room on bunkbeds. Brother Don slept on the top bunk, I had the bottom one. Every night before we’d go to bed, Don would do his best to scare me! He’d sit on the top bunk and recite the definition of a ghoul (over and over) …..”a ghoul is an evil spirit that robs the grave and feeds on the dead”! (Seriously, click on the link and keep in mind I recited this from memory and this happened 45 years ago!!!)
Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and basil – doesn’t get much better than this!
Anyway, when we moved out to the country Dad put in a vegetable garden – 120′ x 100′. Half of it was potatoes, one quarter squash and corn, the rest tomatoes. The first year we harvested over 700 pounds of potatoes! The zucchini squash grew so big and there were more tomatoes than you could shake a stick at! Surprisingly enough I still enjoy tomatoes to this day!
Dad’s tomatoes!
Last week when I visited the farmers market it took me back to our time in the country. The tomatoes were piled high, there were amazing veggies everywhere and all of it smelled so good! I was definitely inspired to make this yummy Heirloom Tomato Salad.
So much gorgeousness right here in this yummy salad!
A beautiful salad like this is so easy to make! Next time you are at the farmer’s market or grocery store, walk past those perfectly red, round tomatoes and head to the heirloom tomatoes. These are going to cost a bit more, but they are totally worth it! Heirloom tomatoes come in all different sizes, shapes and colors. Some are yellow, others green (but they are actually ripe!) some have tiger stripes and are deformed, most have scabs. But they are simply the BEST – sweet, juicy and delicious!
Heirloom tomatoes – none are perfect, but they are perfectly delicious!
Whether you purchase heirloom or hothouse tomatoes, there’s a couple things to remember –
- Don’t refrigerate the tomatoes – tomatoes are best when kept at room temperature.
- Store them stem side down and out of direct sunlight. Also do not stack them.
This delicious salad is perfect for a holiday BBQ – it’s best at room temperature, so it can sit out on the buffet without a worry.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- heirloom tomatoes An assortment of tomatoes different sizes, shapes and colors
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber thinly sliced
- 10-12 leaves basil fresh
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the large tomatoes thinly and arrange on a plate or platter. Add different assortments of tomatoes - if they are small, cherry-sized - no need to slice, the medium-sized tomatoes I slice in half or thirds.
- Thinly slice the shallot and arrange over the tomatoes - the same with the cucumber.
- Clean & dry the basil leaves. Stack them on top of each other and thinly slice them into ribbons - scatter them over the top of the salad.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve at room temperature - do not refrigerate
Nutrition
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Heirloom Tomato Salad
