I was struggling for a light, refreshing, and quick side dish for our Perfect Bean Sandwiches last night. Yes, you heard me, Bean sandwiches. Perfect. Just like when we were kids. Mountain Man and I both grew up having pinto beans on two pieces of white bread (last night was whole wheat). What a delight and yummy comfort food. If you want to get really crazy with it, add a little thinly sliced sweet onion, a little grated cheese and a little salsa. Oooooo-weeee!
The Perfect Bean Sandwich
I digress.
We may just have to have a repeat performance of The Perfect Bean Sandwich again tonight.
Anyhoo, I had several Roma tomatoes, all perfectly red, ripe and ready to eat. I had put them on my windowsill to ripen for about 3 days prior to using. And I never put tomatoes in the refrigerator before preparing them. Somehow they lose a lot of “umph” when they get cold. The Tomato Salad was the perfect side to The Perfect Bean Sandwich. Actually, it would be a perfect side for almost any sandwich, summertime pasta dish, or even roast pork or chicken. Now that I think about it, it’s just a great all-around salad. Light, refreshing, and very tasty. See if you don’t think so yourself.
Light, refreshing summer Tomato Salad
Tomato Salad
4 Roma Tomatoes, sliced long in quarters
1/4 large sweet Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh Basil, chopped
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked Pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until tomatoes and onions are thoroughly coated. Serve with your favorite meal, or with a warm piece of crusty, buttered bread.
I didn’t refrigerate ours before serving and the taste of the tomatoes came bursting through like a tidal wave. If you do refrigerate, be sure and take the salad out of the refrigerator prior to eating long enough for the olive oil to warm up and liquefy a bit before serving. You could also add some fresh Mozzarella or Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese just before serving to give it a bit more of an Italian flair. And if you have never tried White Balsamic Vinegar, this is a great opportunity. White Balsamic Vinegar has a modern twist, aged only 1 year and cooked under pressure in order to retain its clear color and a lighter, bright flavor that is truly exceptional. It has become my favorite salad vinegar. Thanks, Berta, for introducing us! Love at first bite!!!
The perfect side dish!
This was a perfect summer’s evening treat and would be great picnic food, too.
Sweet, ripe, and juicy!
“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” – Lewis Grizzard
Two Hundred Thirty-Nine,
Suz
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Bean sandwiches, eh? Sounds like a great way to fill up for $1 or so! This salad would definitely make it for me.
Well. That’s a new one on me! Bean sandwiches…who would have thought. The tomato salad looks so good. It would be great with a thinly sliced cucumber in it as well.
Still thinking about that bean sandwich. I’ll have to ask the hubs. He grew up in New Mexico and they had pintos about once a day!
Something about those NM men, isn’t there. Must be all the pinto beans and green chiles! LOL!!! MM grew up in Los Alamos. Beautiful there for sure! I love New Mexico!
I’m not sure the hubby and the kid would go for a bean sandwich but we would all go for the salad. So fresh!
OK, yes, I would try the bean sandwich if I were at your house for lunch. I bet it’s delicious, just unusual.
Love the picture (and the bowl) with the polkadot bowl and the tomatoes!
Thanks!! That was the smallest of a nested set of bowls I got for Mother’s Day – which is a whole ‘nuther story. It WILL be told here shortly. LOL! From youngest daughter and her hubby. Toooooo cute!
Yummy sounding and beautiful looking–that’s a keeper!
I am just SO ready for tomato salads again, made with proper vine-ripened ones rather than those tasteless, wooden things from the grocery. My winter tomato crop got zapped by the unusually cold winter here in Florida, my spring crop is just getting rolling now, and your salad is a wonderful way to use them. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, Barbara I so agree. My grandmother raised the BEST heirlooms in her garden (nice, rich “bottom” soil at the foothills of the Smokeys on their tobacco farm)! So good that I’ve only had two other crops of my own that have even come close to the bright, tangy taste of those homegrown tomatoes. I truly let the ones I buy from the store ripen for several days before they are edible.
The summers here get so hot that they just wither away. However, I had found a hybrid called “Merced” that weathered our climate well. Even if they withered in August, they came back for a fall crop as soon as it started cooling off. Found out last year that they no longer make the Merced any longer. Silly me, I didn’t save any seeds. *crying* I just have to watch the farmer’s markets and get a good crop of fresh ripe Texas tomatoes.
Is White Balsamic the best! For me it is right now! I love it with olive oil on my salads with sea salt and fresh ground.
Yummmmmm.
I too can hardly wait for my garden tomatoes. I will check into the Merced tomato dismissal. Can’t hardly believe we cannot find a seed. I am on the hunt!