Summer vegetables deserve a simple hand... it's really about celebrating the vegetables when they are ripe and delicious!
This salad recipe came together using a variety of vegetables at peak ripeness from my garden, with assorted heirloom tomatoes providing both visual appeal and exceptional flavor. I season them sparingly—kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar—nothing more is needed. Red onion, fresh basil, and a touch of hot pepper add depth, while freshly baked garlic croutons give the salad substance.
The difference between a warm, ripe New Jersey tomato picked from the garden and one eaten out of season is impossible to ignore. In fact, I’ve never understood how chefs can serve Caprese salads or add tomatoes to sandwiches year-round using those dull, flavorless alternatives. When tomatoes are truly in season, they need no disguise—and when they aren’t, they simply don’t belong on the plate.
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Summer Tomato Salad
Tomatoes come in a wide range of varieties, each suited to different culinary uses. Cherry and grape tomatoes are prized for their sweetness and thin skins, making them ideal for salads and quick cooking. (also great to snack on when gardening!)
Roma, San Marzano and other plum tomatoes have lower moisture and higher flesh content, which makes them well suited for sauces and roasting. These are still very delicious eaten uncooked.
Heirloom varieties offer exceptional flavor and visual diversity, often with higher acidity or sweetness depending on the cultivar, while beefsteak tomatoes are valued for their size and juiciness in slicing applications.
From a nutritional standpoint, tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin A. They are best known for their high lycopene content, a powerful antioxidant associated with heart health and reduced risk of certain chronic diseases.
Ripening tomatoes in a closed box with an apple-
it works great for salads!
Prep Time: 2o min to assemble and 20 minutes to marinate
Cooking Time: 10 min for the croutons
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
1.5 lbs. Heirloom tomatoes, ripe and assorted shapes & colors
Dressing:
2 oz. Red wine vinegar
6 oz. Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
t.t. Black pepper
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 oz. Red onions, sliced thinly
2 oz. Chili peppers, sliced thinly
2 oz. Basil, chiffonade
1 Cup. Baked garlic croutons
How to make Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
Step 1
Wash and dry the tomatoes, decore and cut into small chunks so that all of the different tomato varieties are similar in size. Season with salt and pepper and all to develop flavor for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Whisk all of the ingredients in the dressing together in a stainless steel bowl.
Step 3
Mix the tomatoes with the dressing, add the garlic croutons and toss.
