Gifts from the Garden

I love tomatoes. I love them cooked, I love them raw, and Jon makes fun of me, but give me a fresh tomato and some salt and I'm in heaven. So when a co-worker brought in fresh tomatoes from her garden this week, of course I took some home. I've been trying to decide what to make with them - everything sounded so good. But since it's the end of the summer, this is the last chance I have to use them in a fresh summer salad.

This salad is from my "Jewish Holiday Cookbook" by Joan Nathan. According to the recipe, tomatoes were hardly used in Eastern Europe because they were considered inedible in their raw form. Many people believed the tomato was poisonous. Jews were especially superstitious regarding the tomato. Nevertheless, this Hungarian Green Pepper and Tomato Salad shows that there is nothing to fear from the tomato. Unless you're afraid of a delicious dish!

This is such a light refreshing salad. Jon had some on its own with his lunch today, and I mixed mine with some pasta to create a summer pasta salad.

Hungarian Green Pepper and Tomato Salad (from Jewish Holiday Cooking)

2 green peppers
3 tomatoes
1 red onion
salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

1) Remove the white ribs and seeds from the green peppers and cut lengthwise into slices.
2) Slice and remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
3) Thinly slice the red onion.
4) Combine the salt to taste, vinegar, and sugar, and slowly whisk in the oil. Pour over the green peppers, tomatoes, and onion, arranged in a glass bowl.