Garden · Summer into autumn
Late Tomatoes with Basil and Olive Oil
When the garden is loud with fruit, the kindest recipe is almost no recipe at all.
15 minutes · Serves 4 · 4 side plates
“The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD.”
Ingredients
- 2 lb ripe tomatoes, mixed colors if you have them
- ½ tsp flaky salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp good olive oil
- 1 small handful of basil leaves
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice, optional
- freshly ground pepper
Method
- 1
Do not refrigerate the tomatoes if you can help it. Cold dulls them. If they were chilled, let them sit on the counter until they no longer feel cold.
- 2
Slice them thickly or cut them into wedges. Arrange on a shallow plate in a single generous layer so every piece gets salt.
- 3
Salt them and wait 5 minutes. You will see the juices bead. That liquid is the dressing.
- 4
Dress with olive oil, the vinegar if you want a brighter plate, and torn basil. Pepper at the table.
- 5
Serve with bread to catch the juices. This is a full light supper beside the honey milk rolls, or the right thing next to roast chicken.
From the kitchen
- A tomato that tastes like water was picked too soon or kept too cold. If yours are pale, roast them instead of forcing a raw salad.
- Give a bowl of the extras to a neighbor. Abundance that stays in one kitchen turns into guilt by Thursday.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
