My Grampy's Tomato Salad

As much as I love creating new dishes and sharing my recipes, there are a few classics in my family that I just adore and wouldn't do a darn thing to them...except maybe pack them into my mouth super fast, hamster-style.

No. Judging.

And you won't judge--not after you try this delicious (and simple) salad.

My grandfather was the master of fresh pasta and gravy, and the most adorable man in the world, especially when he donned his apron.

One of my favorite recipes of his is this tomato salad. I think it's especially delicious as a side for a bbq or any dish during the summer. I know, I know, stop looking at me like that. It's not summer anymore, I get it. But since I live in Arizona, we don't exactly have a shortage of warm weather right now.

This is great at room temperature. In fact, I let mine sit out for 30 minutes or so, even if I plan on refrigerating it, just to let the flavors meld together. So this is really perfect for a tailgate, picnic, or bbq because you do not have to worry about maintaining it at a certain temperature.

So...on with the recipe!

My Grampy's Tomato Salad:

Ingredients:

4 Plum or Roma tomatoes
Quarter of a red onion
pinch of kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

You want to slice the tomatoes into relatively manageable pieces. To do this, I sliced the tomatoes in half, lengthwise then cutting those pieces in half lengthwise again to quarter the tomato. I then went further to halve those pieces as well, so that the tomato was sliced into eight even pieces.

Next, I thinly sliced a quarter of a large red onion. I like to keep the onion in long, thin pieces.

Toss the tomatoes and the onion together and drizzle with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. I added a heavy pinch of kosher salt and only a few cranks of my pepper grinder.

Now, if you want to add another layer of flavor, one of my mom's secrets is to rub the bottom of the bowl with raw garlic. This allows a subtle garlic flavor to permeate the dish. It's delicious with or without garlic, so this is really up to your own personal taste. However, give the garlic a try. You might find that by treating the bowl with a little garlic it will add a new layer of flavor to your salad.

How yummy does that look?! Hope you enjoy this family favorite and--until next time--buon appetito!