"Jersey" Tomato

 
Growing up in an Italian family, we always had a garden in the summer. Most of the backyard was devoted to growing tomatoes, string beans, zucchini, lettuce, eggplant, scallions, basil and parsley. My father tended to the garden daily, it was his pride and joy. And my mother planned our meals to include all the fresh vegetables from the garden. The highlight: Jersey tomatoes. There is no comparison to store bought tomatoes any time of the year-these are the best, sweet, juicy, firm and full of flavor! From mid July to September we had tomato salad on the table every night. I remember my Dad picking 2 beautiful, ripe red tomatoes from the vine, rinsing them with the garden hose and we just bit into them like we were eating an apple! So juicy and sweet, just a sprinkle of salt and it was a perfect treat!

Now, my garden is limited to my deck herb garden because the area I live in has very clay like soil, and the deer are abundant. But thankfully, we have a local farm nearby that provides us with tomatoes and corn thru the summer. Sometimes, it's our whole meal-tomato salad and corn on the cob. Perfect for a hot summer day...



Simple Tomato Salad
Ripe Tomatoes, cut in wedges
Scallions, chopped
Fresh basil, broken into small pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh lime juice ( I used to use balsamic vinegar, which also makes a great tasting dressing, but when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet, I think the lime juice gives just a hint of acidity and brings out the flavor, and doesn't overpower the salad,
try it!)



Another great summer salad is Tomato and Watermelon Salad. I know it sounds like a crazy combo, but the sweetness of the melon compliments the tomato perfectly. I've served this to guests and didn't tell them about the watermelon. You'll see a puzzled look on their face when they bite into the first piece of watermelon and get a squirt of sweetness. They're not quite sure what it is, when you tell them, they say, "wow, never thought of that, but it's good!" You'll start saving some of your watermelon just to add to your tomato salad!


Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Ripe Tomatoes, cut in wedges
Cucumbers, diced
Scallions, chopped
Fresh basil, broken into small pieces
Fresh mint
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh lime juice
Feta cheese, crumbled(optional)

Gluten Free Summer Rice Salad

Need a gluten free alternative to Pasta Salad for your next barbecue or to bring to a friend's house? This is a quick, versatile recipe that is gluten free, full of healthy fresh vegetables and tasty! No one will miss the pasta!

These amounts are approximate, add more or less vegetables and seasonings to taste and by all means take advantage of what's in season at your local farm stand right now. I like mine heavy on the vegetables. Also the type of rice you use is important.  Be sure to use a long-grain rice (e.g. Uncle Ben's, Basmati, Jasmine) because the grains separate easily after they are cooked. Short-grain rice(Arborio, sushi) has a higher starch content. When cooked, it tends to stick together, not what you want for a salad.
I like to use brown rice, but today I used a rice blend called "Royal Blend", it is a mixture of Texmati white, brown, wild and red rice, it has a nice nutty flavor.

Rice Salad                                        Printable Recipe

6 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
4 fresh basil leaves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt/pepper to taste
Olive oil

Combine all ingredients and add just enough olive oil to coat., keep it light!

If you would like to add some protein to this, add a can of chick peas.

Be creative! Anything you would add to a pasta salad you can do with rice.