Heirloom Tomato Salad

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I love browsing farmer’s markets and while in Austin or Chicago we always visit their local markets. I have a hard time finding one around me that I feel is a real farmer’s market where they bring in their own foods.

Don’t you just love picking up fresh tomatoes at a farmer’s market or road side stand and smelling them. I do, and there’s nothing better than a tomato you pick from your own vines.

It’s hard to believe there are so many varieties of tomatoes and the colors are almost rainbow like. My favorite tomato would have to be a fried green tomato with a crunchy cornmeal coating. Remember when cherry tomatoes were first around and they were so cute to put in things. Then came the grape tomato that is so sweet you feel like you are eating candy; and now you can find all shapes and colors.

I happened to pick up these little heirloom tomatoes one day at the store and loved being able to eat the green ones along with the other colors and what a pretty salad they made.

This would make a great salad/side dish for any summer get together and I just bet you used some kind of tomato in your 4th side dishes.

I don’t know why the tomato is considered a fruit but it is and according to most sources they should be kept at room temperature instead of the refrigerator. I happen to like my tomatoes cold so I always keep mine in the refrigerator. If I keep them at room temperature then they keep ripening and get too ripe before I want to eat them.

I love the ingredients in this little salad.

Aren’t these tomatoes beautiful and I love the tartness of the green ones.

Slice the tomatoes in half and add the garlic, basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the red onions into very thin slivers.

Add the onions to the tomato mix.

Add in the blue cheese and toss with the dressing. I think feta cheese would be a good substitution if you don’t care for blue cheese.