Bloody Mary tomato salad

Bloody Mary tomato salad

I wish I had some great story behind this salad.

But I don't.

It's just a salad that I happen to think is pretty bloody fantastic (Heh heh, see my little joke there? I'm hilarious. Really, I am.).

Currently I'm fortunate enough to be drowning in tomatoes from my garden. This is never a bad thing for a gardener. After three consecutive years of no tomato harvest due to bugs and blight, I'm happy as a clam.

So there are a lot of tomato salads being consumed in Ninjaville, which means I have to keep looking for fresh new ideas.

I've been making this salad as an accompaniment to steaks and burgers since I found the recipe last summer. As with its namesake, the olives give it an oomph of briney goodness that is just tangy enough to complement the sweet tomatoes. And it is simple enough to prepare that you can whip it up while your steaks are grilling.

It really is the perfect side for meat straight off the grill; the juices from the meat mingle with the dressing and just scream out for nice hunk of crusty bread to soak it all up.

I'm going to try adding some chopped dilly beans to this the next time.

Whaddya think of that?

Bloody Mary Tomato Salad (barely adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup chopped red onion
2 pint containers (or so -- this is fairly arbitrary) cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup chopped celery (use at least part of the heart so you get some leaves in there)
1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped green olives (I use more olives because I love them; you might want to use fewer) and 2 tablespoons of the olive brine from the jar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (you can use red wine vinegar if you prefer)
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine the onion, tomatoes, celery and olives in a large bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil. When combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the dressing to the vegetables.

Note: This salad can be made ahead but I think it is best served at room temperature rather than chilled.