Tomato and Radish Salad
Here is a quick and easy side dish that is a “go to” with everything from venison, beef, fish, chicken…..anything. With Spring almost here, tomatoes are everywhere. Use any tomato that you are into. I really like the Campari Tomatoes that you see in the pictures. If you have fresh garden tomatoes……you are set!! Keep this simple…but add anything you want. My only advice is that the more stuff you add….the more you run the risk of complicating something that should just be simple. Remember, you are not making a chopped salad….you are focusing on two things here….Tomatoes and Radishes.
- Rinse and slice or quarter your tomatoes…..(remember, fresh tomatoes NEVER go in the fridge….they lose their flavor).
- Find a cool looking plate to arrange them on…(optional).
- Rinse and slice Radishes. I like them thin, you want the taste and crunch….not a mouth full of Radish.
- Next, you need salt and fresh ground pepper. I really like to use Crazy Salt for this dish, check the link, you can buy this at any grocery store. You can make your own with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and really anything else you want to mix up. I think Jane’s Crazy Salt is easy and is PERFECT for tomatoes (for extra points see cool Bloody Mary recipe below).
- Salt and Pepper your Tomatoes and Radishes liberally.
- Next, you need some fresh basil. Slice thin…..you can “chiffonade” if you are fancy…..(ohhhh fancy).
- Last step , you need some good Balsamic Vinegar. Dress the vinegar over the Tomatoes and Radishes….use however much you like. Careful here…..don’t get carried away, you can always add more.
- So….here is my disclaimer. Go out and buy some GOOD Balsamic Vinegar. Don’t go with the cheap stuff. Really, spend the extra couple bucks, you are only going to use this vinegar for dishes like this or to make salad dressing. There is a world of difference between the cheap stuff…..and decent Balsamic. You will thank yourself later…. (if you read the ingredients on your Balsamic…and see the words caramel color\flavor throw it in the trash with a firm hand and promise yourself that you are worth more in this world).
- So that is it………..
So, for extra credit…here is a cool recipe for a “Deconstructed” Bloody Mary. I saw this at a party a few years ago…and it is actually what got me to go search out the Crazy Salt. This is a cool appetizer for a dinner party…..at a minimum….it starts lots of conversations.
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, rinsed in a bowl.
- Tooth picks in a small cup to poke the tomatoes.
- Glass bowl (use a cool looking small bowl…cup…) fill with Vodka. Use a pepper or savory flavored vodka if you want.
- Small bowl\cup filled with Crazy Salt.
- So……you just poke a tomato with a tooth pick, dip in vodka, and dip in the Crazy Salt. And………………..that is it.
This is by far……not complicated….but you will be surprised at the response…The first time I saw this, I must have eaten 10 of them………
Good luck, leave a comment, tell us how you are doing. And Thanks for Reading!
Chris