Summer is the time for tomatoes – it’s quite obvious if you go to a Farmer’s market and see them everywhere ;) We have some tomato plants on our balcony that give us sweet and delicious fruits – unfortunately, not enough at once to make a whole Colorful Tomato Salad (with Feta) like this one here. But we can use at least some of them if we want to make a salad… the rest has to come from a store or market. That’s fine. We would not be able to grow a large variety of tomatoes anyway. If we only had a garden. When I was a kid all the tomatoes could have come out of our garden because there was enough space to grow everything we wanted ;P Well… maybe again someday.
Anyway. Dishes with tomatoes end up on our table all year round. In summer almost every day, because you can get tomatoes everywhere, and they are normally quite cheap. Summer is also the time for tomatoes with the best flavors. There is nothing sadder than a watery greenhouse tomato that did not have enough time, warmth, and sun to ripen properly. Almost as bad, however, are overripe tomatoes that taste mealy because you left them hanging on the plant for too long ;P You really have to find the sweet spot when to harvest tomatoes to get the best results…
Let’s assume you got perfect and delicious tomatoes. A tomato salad like this one here is the easiest and quickest way to make something delicious with them. Of course, you could use just one type of tomato only, but I think if you have a mix of green, yellow, and red tomatoes on hand, the salad looks really nice, don’t you agree? ;) And it does not matter that the tomatoes have different sizes or shapes – that makes the salad look even better…
How to store tomatoes correctly
Tomatoes are delicate fruits, so it is best to treat them accordingly. Once the skin of a tomato is damaged, the chance of mold forming in that spot is quite high. Damaged tomatoes can still be eaten, of course, but they should not be left lying around for too long.
It is recommended to store tomatoes at room temperature – without direct sunlight hitting them. This means it is probably not the best idea to leave them next to our apples right in front of the window where the sun is hitting them all day long ;P A darker spot on your kitchen counter is much better – that’s the spot where your tomatoes should last the longest. Tomatoes ripen continuously and heat accelerates this process and will make them go bad much faster.
Some might think now – well, then I’ll just put the tomatoes in the fridge?! Unfortunately, not a good idea. Tomatoes do not tolerate cold temperatures. In the fridge, they lose their aroma and sometimes become mealy. Short-time storage in the fridge yes – but not for longer.
Stalks up! When storing tomatoes, the stalks/stems should stay on the tomatoes if possible and then also point upwards. If the stem is intact, bacteria and mold have fewer chances to penetrate the tomato skin which means the tomatoes last longer.
Tomatoes should also have enough space around them when stored. If you throw them in a bowl where they touch each other the risk of creating pressure points is much higher. This is where tomatoes eventually start to mold much faster. A shallow tray is best to store tomatoes.
If you have tomatoes with different degrees of ripeness, make sure to store them separately. Fresh tomatoes ripen faster when they are close to ripe tomatoes. Sometimes this can be something you want to happen, but I assume most of us want the fresh ones to last as long as possible without spoiling ;P
If you still have tomatoes left after this salad, you can also check out some of my other recipes. I got several recipes where tomatoes are the heroes (or at least essential to create a great dish/meal). If there is one recipe to make for sure with tomatoes, it’s a Spanish Tomato & Bread Soup aka. Salmorejo Cordobes. So good and refreshing on a hot summer day!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
For the salad:
23 oz. (650g) yellow, green & red tomatoes
5.3 oz. (150g) colored grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, halved & sliced
2 oz. (60g) feta, crumbled
For the vinaigrette:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt, pepper
some fresh chopped basil
(4 Portionen)
Für den Salat:
650g gelbe, grüne und rote Tomaten
150g bunte Cherrytomaten
1 kleine rote Zwiebel
60g Feta
Für die Vinaigrette:
2 EL Olivenöl Extra Vergine
2 EL weißer Balsamico Essig
1 TL Knoblauchpulver
1 TL getrockneter Oregano
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas frisches, gehacktes Basilikum
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut the big tomatoes into slices and half the smaller ones. Peel the onion, cut in half, and then cut into thin slices. Crumble the feta. Set aside.
2. For the vinaigrette mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl mix the tomatoes with the onion. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and mix to combine. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and some chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!
1. Tomaten waschen und trocknen. Die großen Exemplare in Spalten schneiden, die kleinen Tomaten einfach nur halbieren. Die Zwiebel schälen, halbieren und in dünne Scheiben schneiden. Den Feta grob zerkrümeln. Alles zur Seite stellen.
2. Für die Vinaigrette Olivenöl, Essig, Knoblauchpulver und Oregano in einer kleinen Schüssel verrühren. Ordentlich mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen.
3. Tomaten und Zwiebeln in einer großen Servierschüssel vermischen. Vinaigrette dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Den zerbröckelten Feta darüber geben und mit etwas gehacktem Basilikum bestreuen. Servieren und genießen ;)
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Colorful Tomato Salad (with Feta)
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:00
- Total Time: 00:10
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An absolute family favorite: a colorful tomato salad with feta and basil. So easy to prepare and perfect for your next BBQ party with friends or family!
Ingredients
For the salad:
23 oz. (650g) yellow, green & red tomatoes
5.3 oz. (150g) colored grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, halved & sliced
2 oz. (60g) feta, crumbled
For the vinaigrette:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt, pepper
some fresh chopped basil
Instructions
1. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut the big tomatoes into slices and half the smaller ones. Peel the onion, cut in half, and then cut into thin slices. Crumble the feta. Set aside.
2. For the vinaigrette mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl mix the tomatoes with the onion. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and mix to combine. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and some chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Make something amazing in the kitchen!
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