Summer = Tomatoes

Originally posted August 1, 2010

The Tomato Thing Mom and I Make

This is good right away, but even better if you leave it covered on the counter for around 20-30 minutes. At the end of that time, stir it all up again, correct the salt if necessary, and put some into a bowl with a good amount of the juicy goodness that has collected at the bottom. Tear off chunks bread and dip it into your bowl of tomatoes. If you have any left over, it keeps well in the fridge, and is really good later on. It gets ever more garlicky the longer it sits, which to my mind is a good thing, but it’s the kind of thing a person should warn a person about.

There are no real measurements on this. Use what feels right, then taste and correct to your liking.
• Good tomatoes, as many as you want/like/can afford
• Good olive oil
• Fresh basil
• A clove or more of garlic, minced
• Crusty bread (we prefer a nice artisanal olive bread, or homemade crusty bread

Method:
1. Chop the tomatoes into fairly small pieces and put into a bowl.
2. Cut the basil into a chiffonade and toss it in.
3. Mince the garlic finely (or use garlic powder; I won’t tell, but it won’t be as good) and add.
4. Add a generous amount of olive oil and salt, and stir.