Chopped Tomato Basil Salad

Tomatoes are red and heavy on our vines. We have been picking them almost daily, the bounty this year is wonderful! Dale and I have been canning our produce weekly - so the promise of a summer's kiss will be tasty in our winter soups and sauces. The Harvest


I have a passion for pretty plates and dishes. I look for meals that compliment a color theme, or let me use a certain precious gift given to me by a Grandmother who's memory I hold dear. This great recipe uses fresh tomatoes and pungent basil.

These tomatoes need to be skinless. This is a simple process. I put a small 'x' on the bottom side and cut out the stem on the top; add them to rapidly boiling water until the skin breaks - remove with a slotted spoon and put right in an ice water bath. The skin will fall off in your hands!

4 pounds tomatoes - peeled
1 t kosher salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 small sweet red onion
3 Tablespoons Basil, torn

Cube tomatoes, and add salt. Let them stand for 15 minutes.
Place tomatoes in a strainer and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Let stand 10 minutes and squeeze again. Reserve juice for soup or something else wonderful. This juice can be frozen for a future use too.
Return cubed tomatoes to bowl and add remaining ingredients. Gently mix.
Serve on a small bed of lettuce on a pretty glass plate. Enjoy summer to the fullest!