So simple, so juicy, so delicious. Fresh garden grown tomatoes are one of summer’s little pleasures. This past summer my brother planted a couple of plum tomato plants. The fruit yielded is large enough to work with, but small enough that sauce becomes an exercise in patience. Salsas are great because they allow you you to chop easily, but then you need tortillas and a slew of other ingredients. I am going to adapt one of my favorites here to what I had on hand, and it was delicious.

Ingredients:

• Fresh plum tomatoes (roma, cherry, etc would also work)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Basil
• Feta or Mozzarella

Tools:

• Sharp French or Santoku
• Cutting surface
• bowl that will hold cut tomatoes
• plate to serve

Preparation:

1. Cut tomatoes into desired pieces
   1. I cut lengthwise then
   2. Skin down then
   3. Cut accross
      1. This prevents the fruit from getting squashed
2. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar
3. drizzle with olive oil
4. season with basil and oregano to taste
5. add half of the total amount of cheese that you wish to use
6. put plate on top of bowl
7. Flip the bowl/plate gently, this will mix the ingredients
8. top with rest of desired cheese for texture and touch of seasoning.

Tips:

• Don’t throw out the juice at the bottom!  You could…
  • dip bread in it
  • use on salad
  • brush on meat while grilling
• Serving with bread can help to cut down the acidity of this dish

Enjoy!