"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)