Tomatoes! Salad Time

When the warmest days of summer begin to fade into hints of fall, my garden and CSA boxes overflow with ripe, juicy tomatoes. It's sometimes a challenge to use them all and that's a challenge I welcome year after year. After all, not everyone gets to greet something like this when walking into the kitchen every day:

So now, while they are at their prime, I wanted to share some of my favorite tomato recipes and celebrate the season. We begin with a main dish salad that's brimming with tomatoes and much more garden bounty. Everything from every shade of tomato to a bevy of colorful peppers work together to make this simple salad a perfect option for a quick mid-week meal:

As is often the case, what you toss into this salad is less important than the basic idea outlined in the recipe below. Avoiding dairy? Skip the cheese and add some diced avocado. Have some leftover pork? Chop that and make yourself a piggy taco salad! Fresh kernels of corn would be lovely in this, as would spicy peppers for those seeking more heat. I tossed this rendition with a bit of oil and lime juice and let the seasoning work its way into the dressing, but you could also add your own dressing. You could even grab something out of a bottle. I promise I won't tell!