Herby Tomato Salad with Tremendous Easy French dressing

Images by Molly Decoudreaux

When tomatoes are in season, they don’t want rather more than a brilliant easy French dressing—olive oil, acid (suppose lemon juice or vinegar), and a few salt.

Herbs and purple onion add shade and complement the tomatoes’ pure sweetness, and there you could have it: the right summer time tomato salad. It’s beautiful for lunch with a pleasant piece of crusty bread or as a aspect for grilled or fried meats, and even merely ready fish.

Serves 4 to six

Crimson onion, ½ small, sliced
Salt
Crimson wine vinegar, a couple of tbsp. (or substitute 1 lemon or sherry, white wine, and even balsamic vinegar)
Contemporary herbs, ½ bunch (basil and/or parsley could be nice)
Tomatoes, a giant bowlful (2 full baskets cherry tomatoes or 4 or 5 massive heirloom tomatoes, or a mixture, which is even higher; you don’t should measure them, however if you wish to, let’s say 3 to 4 c. halved or wedged)
Olive oil, a couple of tbsp.
Cayenne pepper (elective)
Garlic (elective), 1 clove

Directions:

Macerate the onion: Put the sliced onion right into a small bowl and canopy with a hefty pinch of salt and the purple wine vinegar, then give them a fast therapeutic massage along with your fingers. Put aside to relaxation for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Prep the herbs: Decide off the leaves and provides them a wash and spin in a salad spinner. (Alternatively, you can provide the herbs a rinse after which decide the leaves onto a clear towel to dry.) Roughly chop or tear them and put aside.
Reduce the tomatoes: Utilizing a really sharp knife (or maybe simpler is slightly serrated knife), lower the cherry tomatoes via the stem spot. This makes for the simplest chopping and the prettiest halves. For bigger tomatoes, core and lower them into massive chunks. Give them a lightweight sprinkle of salt, remembering that it’s at all times greatest to season as you go. That’s the way you construct attention-grabbing layers of taste. Place the tomatoes, together with any tomato juices in your chopping board, into a big bowl.
Assemble, style, and regulate: Add the onions and half of the macerating vinegar to the tomato bowl. Add the herbs and drizzle generously with the olive oil. Toss gently, then style. Does it want one other pinch of salt? Add it! Extra acid to brighten the flavour? Spoon in additional of the macerating vinegar. Or is it too acidic? Add one other drizzle of olive oil. Too salty? Add one other handful of unsalted tomatoes or herbs. Prefer it spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed, minced garlic. It ought to be juicy and brilliant, making it a great associate for crusty bread or a wide range of meat dishes.