Tomato Salad with Red Onion and Basil

Nature does nothing in vain

It seems like a fraud to be presenting a dish like this, a tomato salad with red onion and basil. It is such a simple recipe that anyone could easily put together — without thoughts and full attention. I struggle with the idea of bringing this dish to this week’s IHCC blog roll.

I can’t walk by the tomatoes at the farmstand or in the supermarket without picking up a few. The multicolor gems and beautiful tomatoes at their seasonal best make it irresistible, if not imperative, to bring them to the table, day after day. They are not only eye-catching, but taste fantastic. I enjoy eating and serving ripe heirloom tomatoes as simply as possible. I am OK with this dish, after some back-and-forth, believing that tomatoes should have the limelight.

More than that, the basil seedling planted in the early summer has grown to a good-size plant, the perfect accompaniment for the juicy tomatoes. There is no better way to showcase tomatoes than eating them fresh and serving them up with some thinly sliced red onion and shredded basil. A touch of red wine vinegar and fine olive oil. That’s it, as nature has intended!