Summer tomatoes. This is the time of year to enjoy them. Ripe, juicy tomatoes from the farmer’s market or plucked from the vine in the garden is a seasonal pleasure.
Look for different varieties that are available. Some tomatoes can have a darker hue leaning toward more of a brown color.
One ingredient can help make your tomatoes taste even better. It will also help the slices of tomato as an ingredient in a dish.
Sprinkle your tomatoes with some Kosher salt and allow to sit for a few minutes before preparing a salad or other dish. The salt will penetrate the tomato slices with flavor and it also acts to draw out moisture.
Tomatoes are made up of mostly water. This is why if a tomato plant is dry and suddenly gets a rush of water cracks will appear in the surface of the skin as the tomato swells and takes on water.
When you add Kosher salt to tomato slices it adds flavor. There will also be a pool of tomato water under the slices on the plate as the salt draws out the juices.
If you are making a caprese salad of tomato paired with creamy fresh mozzarella you want to season the tomatoes and let them drain first in order to avoid a soggy salad.
Tomatoes, mozzarella, and torn leaves of basil dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. This salad with a glass of wine is the perfect August dinner out on the patio.
You can also use brightly-colored cherry tomatoes as a substitute or addition in the salad with the mozzarella.
Remember to season tomatoes with salt before you prepare your dish and allow the extra water in the tomatoes to drain. It makes a difference.
The time for summer tomatoes is now – so have some for dinner tonight. It’s a brief season to enjoy the summer tomatoes.
You can see my latest post over at Parade here.
