Two Tomato Salads

Note: I am reposting my old food columns from Milford Patch. They originally contained step by step photos and accompanying instructions, which I hope to recreate at some point. Until then, I am posting the original text. This post originally appeared on Patch on August 13, 2011...

Tomatoes are here! There is no other food that more clearly illustrates the difference between in-season, fruits and vegetables and year-round, well-traveled supermarket produce. It’s just not worth eating tomatoes the rest of the year, so you should get your fill in the now. Besides tomato sandwiches, here are two great ways to enjoy tomato season. These recipes only take a few minutes to make, so wait until the last minute to put them together.

Caprese Salad: Tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella is a classic flavor combination. You’ll find these flavors together on pizza, pasta, chicken, sandwiches; I even make a Caprese pasta salad. But this time of year, there’s nothing like going back to the basics. You could eat this every day until the tomatoes run out and you’ll never get tired of it. Good thing, too, because once they’re gone, you’ll have to wait until next year to have more.

You can use any variety of tomatoes that you have. I try to get mozzarella that’s about the same size as the tomato, so the slices are uniform. I cut the basil into a chiffonade (you remember how to chiffonade, right?) but you could tuck the basil leaves whole in with the slices if you prefer the way that looks.

Tomato & Watermelon Salad: I don’t really like watermelon, so for years I have been ignoring recipes for this summer classic. I mean, how could Caprese Salad be improved upon? But when we were in Florida recently, I was served a version of this salad in a restaurant and it was a revelation. There are a lot of different ways you could go with this. I have left the chunks pretty large here, but you could cut them smaller and spoon it over crostini like bruschetta. And I can’t wait to try swapping basil out for mint and adding feta cheese. I’m so confident that will be delicious that I’m giving it as an option below.

Balsamic vinegar reduction: I’m drizzling both of these salads with this reduction. This is one of those fancy-schmancy sauces that you find artfully smeared and dotted on your plate in restaurants, but really, it’s just balsamic vinegar cooked in a saucepan until half of it evaporates, and it gets syrupy (or reduces.) You can flavor it if you like with some herbs or some brown sugar, but there’s nothing complicated to it. Make it in advance and keep it in your fridge to drizzle over your steak or chicken and make it restaurant-worthy. You can certainly use regular balsamic vinegar in a pinch, but the reduction is worth making. It’s easy and adds sweetness that plain vinegar lacks.

The Recipes:

Caprese Salad:

1 medium tomato

1 ball fresh mozzarella (about 8 oz, same diameter as tomato)

6-8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (or 1-2 leaves per tomato slice)

Olive oil

Balsamic reduction

Good salt (sea salt or kosher)

Fresh ground pepper

Slice tomato and mozzarella to uniform thickness. Place on serving platter, alternating slices. Top with basil, tucking in between layers (or place whole leaves in between slices.) Drizzle on olive oil and balsamic reduction, season with salt and pepper.

Watermelon & Tomato Salad:

1 medium tomato

1-2 wedges watermelon (use same amount as tomato)

Sea salt (or kosher)

Balsamic reduction

2-3 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled (optional)

5-6 basil or mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

Cube the tomato and watermelon and optional feta to uniform size (about the size of dice.) Mix in a bowl with the basil or mint, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Reduction:

Put ½ Cup balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over low heat. Add about 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar. Simmer until vinegar is reduced by half and becomes syrupy, about 15-20 minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker the syrup will be. Do not let boil. Be careful not to inhale vinegar as it evaporates, it will irritate your throat and/or eyes. Let cool and store in fridge.