"Naked" Cherry Tomato Salad

This bright salad is perfect for using the fresh, colorful, small tomatoes you can often find in farmer's markets or that may overwhelm your garden come midsummer. Easy to make and delicious, this is a good lunch paired with some fresh cheese and bread. Or make crusty croutons and toss them right in the salad to make Panzanella.

Peeling the cherry tomatoes is a little bit of work but allows for a more luxurious mouth feel. If you're in an hurry, feel free to skip that step. This is also one of those recipes where I just eyeball the ingredients. Use the amounts provided in the recipe as guidelines and feel free to adjust as necessary. You can also use less tomatoes than called for and store the extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe adapted from "Mediterranean Women Stay Slim Too" (p. 104)

Course Salad

Servings 6

Ingredients

3 pints assorted small tomatoes cherry, pear, grape, red and yellow
1 bunch fresh basil
3 shallots peeled and minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Peel the tomatoes, cut in half and put them in a large bowl.
Chiffonade the basil, add to the tomatoes and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the shallots, vinegars, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well, then let rest for 15 minutes.
Whisk the oil into the vinegar mixture a little at a time, then toss the dressing with the tomatoes and basil (take care not to overdress the salad). Add more salt and pepper if needed. Chill until ready to serve (allow for at least 1 hour so the flavors merry together).