It’s summertime, and the tomato vines will soon be as heavy as the humidity in the air. Here is the perfect recipe to try when the tomatoes in your garden are ready for picking. This simple salad features flavors of the Creole style of cooking from New Orleans.

Salad Ingredients
3 ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint
2 tsp chopped fresh chives

Vinaigrette Ingredients
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

To arrange salad, alternate tomato and onion slices on a platter. Sprinkle with salt. Top with mint and chives.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a jar. Cover tightly, and shake well. Drizzle over salad, and serve at room temperature. Makes four servings.

Per Serving: 73 calories; 4.8 grams (g) fat; 1.4 g protein; 7.5 g carbs; 1.5 g fiber; 0 milligrams (mg) cholesterol; 185 mg sodium; 0.6 mg iron; 13 mg calcium.

Source: May 2005 Cooking Light.