This is my dad’s vegetable patch.
He’s very proud of it. The highlight? Tomatoes.
No shortage of lycopene in these parts.
Sometimes he invites his friends over to come see his tomaters. I’d make fun of him, but since I’ve never successfully grown anything in my life I guess I don’t really have room to. Check out the monster one he picked yesterday:
Impressive.
Since we have such an abundance to use up, this afternoon I put together a simple summery salad as part of my lunch. I wasn’t expecting it to come out as well as it did, but this one’s a keeper!
Italian Grape Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 large cucumbers
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper, to taste
Begin by peeling one of the cucumbers. Leave the skin on one, then halve, seed and dice. Dice tomatoes and slice grapes in half. Add basil and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper. Toss dressing into salad and add more pepper if necessary. Enjoy!
Initially I wasn’t planning on adding grapes, but we had a huge bowl of them and I decided it might be an unusual change. It actually worked really well- they added a pop of sweetness to the other ingredients. I also used an heirloom tomato and a regular tomato, so there was a slight color and taste difference between the two.
I had this salad alongside a hummus-salmon salad wrap, which was the perfect taste complement. I love summer foods!
What’s your favorite way to eat tomatoes? Do you like fruit in salads, or do you prefer them strictly savory? I love raw tomatoes, but I’m 50/50 on cooked ones. And I love fruit in anything and everything!
