My Dad’s Tomato Salad:
This recipe is one of the main reasons I slave over a garden every year. It is similar to what “Medigans” (non-Italians) refer to as “brew-shetta”, but Bruschetta (really pronounced “brooskettah”) is more like salsa or pico de gallo, whereas this salad is Bruschetta’s thiccc southwestern Italian, junk-in-the-trunk, herbaceously promiscuous cousin with questionable morals.
It is the perfect accompaniment to grilled red meat, so I included a pic at the end of smoked chuck, a couple of local T-bones, and the backstraps from a doe I shot just 30 yds from the grill. Or get you a good loaf of crusty Italian bread: hollow out an end, dip the hollowings in the juices from the salad and fill the bread-end with salad. Life-changing. Also works as a fresh, cold alternative to pasta sauce or as a pizza topping.
Ingredients all came from the garden but you can visit the grocery store if you ain’t got time for that.
Measurements are hella exact:
Growing up, my pops would make
this any time we had steaks on the grill during the growing season. From April when he started the seeds in our garage to July when the first breakers shone orange and green on the vines, I’d “are they ready yet?” that poor man daily over ‘maters and onions. Only thing that has changed is that now the garden is mine, and my daughter and dad “are they ready yet?” to ME.
Enjoy!
This recipe is one of the main reasons I slave over a garden every year. It is similar to what “Medigans” (non-Italians) refer to as “brew-shetta”, but Bruschetta (really pronounced “brooskettah”) is more like salsa or pico de gallo, whereas this salad is Bruschetta’s thiccc southwestern Italian, junk-in-the-trunk, herbaceously promiscuous cousin with questionable morals.
It is the perfect accompaniment to grilled red meat, so I included a pic at the end of smoked chuck, a couple of local T-bones, and the backstraps from a doe I shot just 30 yds from the grill. Or get you a good loaf of crusty Italian bread: hollow out an end, dip the hollowings in the juices from the salad and fill the bread-end with salad. Life-changing. Also works as a fresh, cold alternative to pasta sauce or as a pizza topping.
Ingredients all came from the garden but you can visit the grocery store if you ain’t got time for that.
Measurements are hella exact:
- A couple-few beefsteaks or slicing tomatoes OR a mess of cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/2”-1” chunks
- A medium-small onion (I like red onion or vidalia)
- A bunch of scallions/green onions, snipped into small rings (can use the tops of bulbing onions or cuttings from bunching onions)
- Garlic chives, snipped into flecks
- Basil, ripped into 1/2” pieces (I used purple and two types of green but any fresh basil works)
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Cayenne pepper, snipped into 1/4” rings (optional)
- Fresh garlic, 1-2 medium cloves, sliced (optional)
- A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
- Cut veggies and toss into a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper, mix gently.
- Add green onions and herbs, then drizzle with olive oil (a tablespoon or two to start, then add more if needed). Mix gently again. All ingredients should be coated in oil but not swimming in it.
- Cover with plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container, and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour. I prefer to make this in The morning or around lunchtime, then it’s fully marinated for dinner. Sometimes I make it the day before serving, and it lasts for about 3-5 days in the fridge.
- The salad makes its own juice as it marinates, but an extra drizzle of olive oil after taking this out of the fridge would make Nonna proud.
Growing up, my pops would make
this any time we had steaks on the grill during the growing season. From April when he started the seeds in our garage to July when the first breakers shone orange and green on the vines, I’d “are they ready yet?” that poor man daily over ‘maters and onions. Only thing that has changed is that now the garden is mine, and my daughter and dad “are they ready yet?” to ME.
Enjoy!
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