Fresh Tomato Salad

Adapted from Everyday Food

There could not be anything easier that this salad. It is perfect as a first course for summer dinner party, antipasto platter, or alongside grilled meats.

Using our excess of home-grown tomatoes makes this salad divine. Store bought tomatoes will work too...although you might want to use a bit more salt and pepper, and just a pinch of sugar, as the tomatoes will not be as sweet.

This is so simple, I'm just going to tell you straight out how to make it.

On a serving plate, slice up about 1 pound of tomatoes (2 pounds if you're feeding more than 4 people). Any variety is fine. I used one slicer, 2 romas, and a handful of baby yellows. This made enough for Rebecca and I to share. She is the only one in our house who eats tomatoes with the same amount of gusto I do :-).

Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and grate over the zest of one lemon. Use either a microplane grater or a box grater, using the smallest holes.

Finally, add some kalamata olives for a burst of briny goodness and a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil. Rebecca didn't care for the olives, so I had to eat them...which didn't concern me at all ;-).

And that's it. I let this stand at room temperature for about 1/2 hour before serving. I don't refrigerate our tomatoes because that breaks down the sugar in them, so didn't see the need to chill the finished salad.

If you are fortunate to grow your own tomatoes, this salad is awesome. The lemon zest is a touch of tang with the sweetness of the tomatoes...you'll love it!

Enjoy...God bless your table tonight!