It is August, and in my corner of the world that means that fresh tomatoes are starting to ripen and the first local tomatoes will be available! I don’t think I could imagine Italian cuisine without fresh tomatoes. Personally, when the tomatoes in our garden are ripe, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner…
Fresh tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil were made for each other, especially the robust, peppery oils of Southern Italy. With just a touch of bitterness, these oils–very high in polyphenols–are the perfect mate for sweet, freshly picked tomatoes!
Every Italian has their own rendition of the Tomato Salad. The following recipe is my family’s tomato salad that I have named after my ancestral home in Calabria; San Giorgio Morgeto, RC. Want to join us in Calabria for our annual food & wine tour?
This tomato salad is the simplest of salads, and for that reason you really must use the best, freshest tomatoes and the best, extra virgin olive oil available! This is a staple in my kitchen during tomato season and is a cornerstone of the quintessential “antipasto lunch”–a bit of this, a bit of that!
Ciao for now, Natalina
San Giorgio tomato salad
Ingredients
- 4 fresh seasonal, full size tomatoes
- 2 fresh garlic cloves large dice
- ½ teaspoon Italian dried oregano
- ¼ cup of the best quality extra virgin olive oil plus more to taste
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes into ½ inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt , mix, taste and adjust the salt until the tomato flavour shines.
- Let this sit for at least 15 minutes so the flavours can blend and the tomatoes emit their juices.
- Add the coarsely chopped garlic, which is not intended to eat, but rather flavour the salad. Add oregano and oil. Stir well and taste. Adjust the seasonings and oil as the tomato sizes will vary.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the tomato juices and olive oil
- About 4 servings
