What is summer without the delight of tomatoes fresh from the vine?  They taste like distilled sunshine and sweet, sweet earth...I could go on forever about these perfect summer jewels which is probably why I end up with piles of these delicious fruits in forms and varieties sitting on my kitchen counter ready to be devoured.  This especially true for cherry tomatoes that are like individually wrapped treats I can pop in my mouth like candy (only better because I don't really like candy, just clean, healthy food). 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy cherry tomatoes is to use them in this easy salad.  It celebrates the perfection of the heirloom cherry tomato with minimal ingredients to weight them down.  Think of it as a bread-less bruschetta.  The only real difference between my salad and a tomato bruschetta topping is the bitter dandelion greens I add to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes.  Or you can almost think of it as a variation of my spicy cherry salad, minus the spice.

I like to use a variety of cherry tomatoes, here being yellow pear, chocolate rose, and sun gold (pictured below).  It doesn't matter what type of tomatoes--including larger varieties--you use as long as they are super fresh, either from your garden or the farmers market.  Store bought just won't give you the same taste.  Lastly, I keep the dressing light, just enough to coat the ingredients without overshadowing the tomatoes, and rarely use salt in my recipe since these fresh ingredients hardly need to coax out their flavor.  This dish makes a light summer dinner or a perfect side salad.

Ingredients:

2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup dandelion greens

1/4 cup basil

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

salt to taste (optional)

Slice the heirloom tomatoes in half and place in a salad bowl.  Shred dandelion greens and basil and add to bowl, stirring until combined.  Mince garlic and add to bowl, stirring until combined.  Drizzle olive oil and vinegar to bowl and mix again.  Add salt of desired. Serves 2. Enjoy!