This recipe is a result of my love affair with the Farmer’s Market. We have an amazing Farmer’s Market just a few miles from our home. I love to go on Saturday mornings as early as possible. I wander, I touch, I inhale, I enjoy. Right now, it still feels like summer in Tennessee, so even though the pumpkins, squashes, and cornstalks are starting to appear, we enjoy the benefit of a long summer growing season.
The colors of this late summer harvest captured me and made me want to buy one of everything! The multi-colored tomatoes and the scent of basil wafting through the open-aired pavilion created this delicious summer salad.
What a gorgeous variety of tomatoes!
I’m sure you’ve made tomato basil salads before, but this recipe features the basil in the dressing and not in the salad. It makes for a simple, flavorful tomato salad that just says, hold on to summer for one more week.
Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing
by Heather
Ingredients:
- 2 red tomatoes
- 2 yellow tomatoes
- 1 green tomato
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1 c. basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
Directions:
1. Chop tomatoes and place them in a large bowl.
2. Put all other ingredients in the Vitamix (or blender), and puree.
3. Pour basil dressing over the tomatoes and toss to coat.
4. Let salad sit for 30 minutes to allow the tomatoes to become saturated with the dressing.
Serves 6-8
If you don’t have access to an assortment of tomatoes, just use all red tomatoes and 1 small tomatillo. It tastes almost as good!
Readers, dish!
- Do you have a local farmer’s market?
- What is one thing that captures you at your market?
- How do you enjoy your basil?
- Fat Tuesday hosted by Jill of Real Food Forager
- Slightly Indulgent Tuesday hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
- Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker
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- Allergy Free Wednesdays hosted by Tessa the Domestic Diva , Amber of The Tasty Alternative, Laura’s Gluten-Free Pantry, and friends.
- Keep it Real Thursdays hosted by France of Beyond the Peel
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- Healthy Vegan Friday hosted by Gabby of The Veggie Nook
Hi Heather,
This salad is just gorgeous. I love those beautiful farm fresh tomatoes.
Looks like we on the same wavelength here with salads!
Have a fabulous week.
Hugs,
–Amber
Amber, we ARE on the same wavelength! Your mango dressing looks amazing! I love dressings made whole foods.
What a refreshing salad! The basil dressing sounds delicious. It is soo hot here today that this cooling salad would be perfect.
Laura, I’m trying hard to get into Fall flavors, but it’s hard when it’s so hot out. Hoping for a cold front, because my heart wants pumpkin, squashes, and stews!
It’s def Autumn here in Ontario. Hoody weather. We picked the last of our garden tomatoes this past Friday
. Our local Market is only open on Thursday mornings (?!) so on Saturday about once a month I drive an hour to a huge Farmer’s market. It’s so worth it! The abundance & variety of produce makes recipes start dancing around in my head! A GF Bakery is now coming to the Market, which is fantastic! They had blueberry, apple & pumpkin pies, ciabatta buns, bread, tarts etc & it’s so refreshing to talk to people who UNDERSTAND!! How do I like basil? Picked straight from my garden (oh how I love summer for that)& made into fresh pesto, or torn & thrown into a salad. Like with tomatoes. Never thought of putting it in the dressing…I must try it! Thanks so much, as always, for the recipe!
Mmmm, hoodies! Can’t wait for that weather! And I’m so excited for you to be getting a GF Bakery coming to your market! Sounds incredible!!! Yes, the GF world is becoming much bigger and thankfully safer.
Our market has a lady that makes “gluten free” muffins, but after I questioned her about cross contamination I realized that they are not truly gluten free. She makes all of her goods (gluten and gf) in the same kitchen. Thankfully she now has a sign posted that everything is made in the same kitchen.
Hi Heather,
I love the different colours of the farm fresh tomatoes in your salad. Drizzled with a basil dressing…perfect!
Pinning and sharing on my Facebook page
Thank you, Laureen! The colors of the market captivate me!
The tomatoes at the farmers market are my absolutely favorite treat! This basil dressing sounds like a perfect pairing.
I’ll be sharing it at Keep It Real Thursday! Thanks for such a great event!
Heather, this looks delicious. I’ve only learned to like tomatoes in the past year or so. I might get some garden fresh tomatoes from my mom next week, and this sounds like a great way to eat them.
Thank you, Linda. Garden fresh is the best!
Oh how I wish I could grow my own tomatoes!