tomato salad with basil, pine nuts and sumac shallots

Tomato salad is a Summer favorite, especially with basil. Dinner is just a whole lot better with tomatoes, sometimes I find myself slicing up a few cherry tomatoes just to add color to my plate. Mostly I like a big sliced tomato salad, a large commitment to tomatoes, just throw myself into it. This is a fun tomato recipe with a little crunch from the toasted pine nuts, a lot of flavor from the Sumac shallots Marinated in white wine vinegar and if you really want to go big, add soft goat cheese in big clumpy slices- perfect pillows for the shallots and sumac. Now I'm happy.

Tomato Salad with Basil, Pine Nuts and Sumac Shallots

1 large shallot, sliced thin

1 & 1/2 T sumac

1 T white wine vinegar

Sea salt, pinch

2 large tomatoes, sliced

18 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup, lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Soft goat cheese, sliced (optional)

Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place shallot slices, sumac, sea salt and vinegar in a small bowl, mix together and rest for thirty minutes or more.

Place sliced tomatoes, olive oil, basil leaves, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a medium bowl, stir gently and rest at room temperature for a few minutes or longer.

Place tomato mixture on a plate, sprinkle pine nuts, sliced goat cheese (optional) and sliced shallots on top. Finish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes enough for two.

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