- 2 1/4 pounds mixed ripe Heirloom tomatoes, different shapes and colors
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A good pinch dried oregano
- Red wine or balsamic vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
- Fresh basil
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that’s really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.
Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won’t be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the basil. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chile. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.
This is a fantastic tomato salad, which is totally delicious to eat on its own. It’s also great served with some balls of goat cheese or some nice, grilled ciabatta bread.