Screamin' Summer Salad

One of my favorite summer salads--so summerlicious I named it, well, Summer. You can get most of the ingredients at a Farmer's Market...

2 cloves garlic
4 medium ripe tomatoes
1 medium sweet onion (vidalia, maui, spanish...)
5 leaves fresh basil
1 8oz chunk of mozzerella (I like fresh, my wife likes the drier kind) cubed or rustically torn into 1/2" pieces
Fresh ground sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Splash of Olive Oil
Splash of Vinegar (balsamic or red wine are nice)

Clean your garlic, cut it in half, and rub the cut part around a big enough bowl. I like to use a white bowl for the contrast to the red/white/green of the primary ingredients. Chop or crush the garlic fine and toss it in the bowl.

Core and cut the tomatoes into big 1/2 moons, like in 8ths or 10ths from the top down. Into the bowl.

Cut the top and bottom off the onion and slice it into long slivers from the top. Into the bowl.

Roll the leaves of the basil into a "cigar" and slice across the cigar creating ribbons of flavor. Into the bowl.

Cube or tear the mozzeralla into 1/2" pieces. Into the bowl.

Give a couple of grinds of salt and pepper to the bowl.

Splash the olive oil and vinegar on to the gorgeous mound of summer flavor you are creating. Use about 5 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. If things look a little dry, add a little more, but remember that the salt will be drawing the moisture out of the tomatoes and onions and creating part of your dressing for you.

Toss everything in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then toss again before serving. It is still getting better for up to 24 hours, after that it starts getting a little soggy.

For a nice variation on texture, sometimes I like to cut the tomatoes, onions, and mozzerella like pico de gallo in 1/4 to 1/2" cubes.