Tomato salad

It's way past to tomato season in the northeast, and I miss fresh tomato salad. Literally, tomato salad is my favorite taste of summer. This past season, I was lucky enough to eat tomatoes from several local farmer's markets, my co-worker's garden, and my father's backyard.  

When choosing tomatoes for salad, I prefer varieties on the drier side and with fewer seeds. But really, any tomato will do, and locally grown are usually the best.  My father grows a little bit of everything, from heirloom brandywine and Cherokee purples, to San Marzano and other elongated (plum) varieties. He also grows oxhhearts, which are amazingly sweet and meaty, and very good for salad. 

Making the prefect salad is really quite easy. Choose tomatoes (of any variety) that are not too ripe, not too green.  Orangey-red might be the best way to describe them (unless they are a purple, brown, orange or yellow variety, in which case, use your judgement). Just cut them up in a bowl, add minced garlic and sliced red onion, add plenty of torn basil, drizzle with plenty of olive oil, add some salt, mix it all up. If you like, add some ground black pepper, and/or slivers of green chile pepper. This salad does not need vinegar.  Do not substitute oregano for fresh basil, unless it's an emergency. Be prepared with good bread to soak up the "juice."  Literally, it's irresistble.