Summer Swan Song

Late August is a happy time for food lovers. Here in the Twin Cities, the farmer’s markets are full of plump, colorful, tasty tomatoes. I’m a super fan. I can’t wait to fill my re-usable grocery bags to the brim before they disappear.

This Tomato Salad with Mint is my new favorite way to enjoy these beauties. It combines the perfect flavor of fresh tomatoes with a light vinaigrette and a bit of mint to create a delicious and beautiful summer side dish.

I encourage you to pick up some gorgeous, local tomatoes and make this salad for your summer swan song – you’ll be a happy food lover too.

Tomato Salad with Mint

This is the perfect salad for beautiful end-of-summer tomatoes. Simple and delicious, it combines the incredible flavor of fresh tomatoes with a touch of mint. I bring this salad to parties and picnics all through tomato season.

Servings people

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Ingredients

The Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

The Salad

1 cup cherry tomatoes any color you like
3 medium tomatoes heirloom, if possible
1 small shallot or 1/2 a small red onion
4 leaves fresh mint or 1/4 tsp dried mint

Instructions

Make the Vinaigrette

Combine the 1/4 cup olive oil with the 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, the 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Shake to combine and set aside

Prepare the Salad

I love to use heirloom and/or a variety of colorful tomatoes in this recipe. You'll find them at your local farmer's market and in many grocery stores at this time of the year. Feel free to use your favorites here
Cut the 1 cup of cherry tomatoes in half and mix with 3 tbsp of the vinaigrette. Let sit for about 10 minutes stirring once or twice to let the flavors combine
Chop the shallot (or small red onion) into tiny slices, separate the pieces with your fingers and place in a small bowl water to soak for about 10 minutes. Soaking helps to mellow the flavor
Pile the 4 mint leaves on top of each other
Roll the leaves up like a cigar
Chiffonade the mint - a fancy way of saying chop the leaves into small strips
Cut the medium tomatoes into thick slices and arrange on a platter.
Drain the shallots and sprinkle them on top of the platter of tomatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Drizzle a tablespoon of the vinaigrette over the tomatoes
Spoon the cherry tomatoes on top of the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with the mint. Add additional vinaigrette if you like and serve this beautiful salad with pride. (I just had to take this picture of the finished salad outside on this perfect summer evening)