Tomato & Mint Salad

We are inching closer and closer to warmer temps and the start of summer! To me, nothing screams summertime quite like… tomatoes.

Tomatoes, fresh from the vine, totally take me back to my childhood. My grandparents had a farm and when we would visit them in the summer, we would run through their crops checking out the assortment of produce including vibrant, juicy tomatoes. They smelled so earthy and sweet. I’d eat them right off the vine and then… spit that sh$! right on out. I mean what 8-year old midwestern girl actually LIKED vegetables? Especially tomatoes with the soft, mushy outside with oozy insides that gush seeds upon impact. Not this kid! At least not then…

It took me until adulthood to really appreciate what the earth has to offer in terms of fruits and vegetables. NOW, I love tomatoes and long to have my own vegetable garden in my backyard that MY kids can run through. One day. One. Day.

Until then… I’ll keep snatching up someone else’s fresh produce at the farmers market. That’s where I snagged these heirloom tomatoes. I knew I wanted to make a fun side-salad out of them, totally inspired by a dish a girlfriend brought to a gathering. It’s so easy to take a simple vegetable and make it incredibly flavorful with the right seasoning and garnish.

This dish is light on the seasoning so the tomatoes can really stand out. I added my own little twist with some fresh mint and oh my… it totally did the trick. You just start with an assortment of tomatoes, any kind you like.

Chop up your tomatoes into wedges and season them to taste.

I used a base of olive oil, red wine vinegar, pink himalayan sea salt and a dash of pepper.

The mint is the second big star of the show. Rough chop a good portion and add it to the tomatoes. Pour a little dressing on top and lightly toss together.

I decided it needed a little crunch so I added some pecans. I actually toasted these in the oven for another salad I had made (Roasted Cauliflower & Maple Pecan Salad). I drizzled a little grade-b syrup on them and baked them for roughly 7 minutes. They were so good and the perfect flavor to balance out the vinegar and olive oil.

And that’s all it took to transform delicious tomatoes into a tasty side dish.

The nuttiness of the olive oil mixed with the tang of the vinegar and sweetness of the mint and maple pecans, is the perfect combination of flavor. It’s a simple, refreshing, light salad that goes great with any meal, or even all by itself.

Hello tomatoes and hello summer!

Here’s what you’ll need for this Tomato & Mint Salad.

Ingredients:
3 cups tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh mint
1 c. pecans (raw or baked)

Dressing:
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt (to taste)
dash of cracked pepper
=makes 3/4 cups

Directions:

  1. Cut tomatoes into wedges and place into a large bowl.
  2. Rough chop mint and add it to the tomatoes.
  3. Add raw pecans (chopped or whole), or baked pecans to the tomato salad. To bake the pecans you place them in a bowl, drizzle grade-b maple syrup on top and a dash of pink himalayan sea salt, coat pecans evenly, place onto a cookie sheet, bake 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes, or until pecans reach desired crispness. (Do not overcook. They cook rather quickly, so keep your eye on them.)
  4. In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, olive oil sea salt and a dash of pepper.
  5. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the top of the tomato salad. I used just 1/2 c. of the dressing and saved the remaining 1/4 cup. Cover salad and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow flavors to enhance and then serve immediately.

NOTES:

*Substitute balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar for a little bolder flavor.

*For a less-sweet pecan flavor, omit the grade-b syrup, toss with a little sea salt and bake raw. Pecans will be nice and toasted.