Perfectly ripe, juicy tomatoes are in plentiful supply right now – this simple yet delicious #TheFridayRecipe salad with olive salsa makes a great alternative to the usual pairing with basil (lovely as that is) and is perfect served with BBQ meats or as part of a tapas selection. The secret lies with good quality basic ingredients and the red onion which is steeped in lemon juice for about an hour and then mixed with finely chopped green olives and fresh coriander. This is one of those recipes that can be easily scaled up or down – you’ll find yourself making it over and over again once you’ve tried it. I also make a big batch of the salsa to serve sprinkled over pulled pork or lamb kebab wraps Enjoy!
Serves four
- 4 large ripe tomatoes.
- 1 dessertspoon of good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of Maldon sea salt
- The juice of a lemon
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 pitted green olives
- A generous handful of fresh coriander
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
To make…
Firstly, prepare the onion – it needs to be finely chopped, placed in a ceramic or glass bowl and then steeped in the lemon juice with a pinch of sea salt. Set aside for an hour. The onions will lose their raw edge and the lemon juice will turn pink.
To make the salsa, pour away half of the lemon juice and mix the onion thoroughly with the finely chopped olives, coriander and cayenne pepper. Set aside. It will keep for a day in the fridge but is best served fresh.
Slice the tomatoes thinly and layer on a serving plate, pour over any juices that have run out. Drizzle generously with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Spoon the salsa evenly over the tomatoes. If you’re not serving this immediately just cover and leave it out until you need it – tomatoes should never be refrigerated as it robs them of their flavour.
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