Freshly picked tomatoes in the summer are one of nature’s sweetest delights.

Last week I went down to pickup my CSA bag from Wild Hare Organic Farm in Puyallup and left with a variety pack of small tomatoes, a head of butter lettuce, and a freshly picked cucumber. I got home and threw together a salad using those ingredients and a few others and actually thought to myself that I just made the world’s best salad.

I then made it everyday the rest of the week and figured I should probably share it.

The truth is, this salad has minimal ingredients and all real food, I didn’t do anything magical to make it taste good.

The magic comes from the ripe, fresh, in season, local ingredients.

You could make this salad at other times during the year but I really don’t think it would taste quite as delicious as when the tomatoes are just picked and the butter lettuce is in it’s height of butteriness. But when those things come together- for real- you couldn’t find a tastier salad.

Enjoy!

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Summer Tomato Salad

Makes 1 large serving

Ingredients

• 8-10 small tomatoes
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 3 cups of lettuce, chopped- butter lettuce is a fave here
• 1/3 cucumber, chopped
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes and walnuts on a baking sheet and place into the oven as it is preheating. When the oven reaches 350, or after about 5 minutes in the oven, remove the baking sheet and turn the oven off.
2. While the tomatoes/walnuts are baking, combine the lettuce, cucumber, goat cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. When tomatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them. Add the tomatoes and walnuts to the salad, toss, and eat.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!