When summer rolls around, there’s nothing like a fresh garden tomato. It’s a flavor, I’ve been waiting for all year long. Nothing I can buy in the grocery store can match its texture and juiciness. They’re a must for every salad. But this time of year, I go beyond slicing them up for a tossed salad. I want Polish Tomatoes.
My grandma was 100% Polish and came to America in her 20’s. She passed onto me (through my mom’s cooking) my great love for dill and many other herbs common in Polish cuisine. Dill is the most important herb in Polish dishes. Over the centuries, it’s been used for a digestive aid and for flavoring delicious meals. Its seeds were added to cabbage, its leaves would flavor cold beet soups and many vegetables, and if you had no sauce to serve with potatoes, every Polish cook would chop dill leaves and sprinkle them over the hot potatoes just before serving.
So, when I want a dish of sliced or chopped tomatoes in summer, I want Polish Tomatoes with fresh herbs and especially with lots of dill. It’s the perfect salad for these hot summer days–great for picnics too.
Polish Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 ripe tomatoes, sliced or chopped in quarters
- 1 small or medium onion, minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dillweed
- 2 tsp dried basil or 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley or 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- salt or salt substitute to taste
Instructions
- Wash and thickly slice the tomatoes. Add to a medium-size bowl with minced onion, basil, dillweed, parsley, and salt.
- Toss until evenly coated with herbs. Add lemon juice and toss again.
- Let stand for at least a few hours in the fridge for the flavor to "marry." It is even better if you let it marinate overnight. Serve well chilled.
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