Tomato season is almost at an end but if you are lucky, you can still find a few lingering green tomatoes at the market along with some very ripe red tomatoes.  That combination is perfect for an end of season tomato salad to enjoy the last bit of summer and early fall before it gives way to colder weather and winter vegetables.

This salad is so simple; it has just a few ingredients and takes no time to prepare.  However, the flavors are intense with a mix of the tartness of green tomatoes coupled with the bright sweet and acidic flavors of the red tomatoes.  Simply char the tomatoes, toss them with good quality extra virgin olive oil, tear some basil or a mix of herbs of your choosing, and season to taste with flaky sea salt and red pepper flakes.  I don’t feel the salad even needs vinegar or some other form of acid as the tomatoes themselves provide that.  However, a splash of sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar would work well here if you prefer it that way.

There are two keys to the salad.  One is to use a cast iron pan or griddle and heat it until it is piping hot so that you can achieve the char that adds the smoky caramelized flavor to the salad.  Secondly, usually it’s important to season ingredients prior to cooking, but in this instance the tomatoes need to be seasoned after they are charred as salt will bring out the juices, which we want to keep in the tomatoes until they are finished and are ready to be tossed together in the salad.  Otherwise, this couldn’t be easier, healthier, or more flavorful!

Recipe follows after the jump…

Ingredients: 

3 Medium green tomatoes, halved

2 Medium red tomatoes, halved

½ Cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (or other fresh herbs of your choice)

Around ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt such as Maldon salt or Fleur de Sel to taste

Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Instructions:

• Place a cast iron pan or griddle on high heat and allow it to become very hot, around 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, remove the core of each tomato and chop in half.
• Gather a large bowl for tossing the tomatoes and other ingredients once finished.
• Once the pan is screaming hot, turn on your vent fan and place the green tomatoes in the pan, cut side down. Do not touch the tomatoes for several minutes to allow proper charring.  After two to three minutes, check the tomatoes to see if they are blackened to your liking.  Once you achieve the desired level of charring (around 4-5 minutes total), turn the tomatoes over and briefly char the other side (around 30 seconds to one minute).
• Remove green tomatoes from the pan. If there is a bit of juice from the tomatoes in the pan, take a paper towel and wipe out the pan.  Place the red halved tomatoes in the pan and repeat the process, though the red tomatoes will likely take a minute or two less to finish charring.
• Once finished, removed the red tomatoes from the pan and place both the green and red tomatoes on a cutting board. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place all the quarters in the large bowl reserved from earlier.
• Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves and place in bowl as well.  Sprinkle a bit of the flaky sea salt and red pepper flakes into the bowl.  Toss all the ingredients to incorporate.
• Taste the tomatoes and adjust seasonings by adding more olive oil, salt, or red pepper flakes as needed to suit your tastes. Allow the mixture to sit a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to mingle and the juices of the tomatoes to come out.  If you are going to use vinegar or another acid, drizzle it over the mixture now.
• Toss the salad in bowl again and then pour the salad, along with the accumulated juices onto a small platter.

Serve while warm