Summer Tomato Salads - Cooks Illustrated

Published July 1, 1998.

To create a nicely balanced acidic base for the dressings in these salads, salt the cut tomatoes and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes to extract some juice.

The Problem

Tomato salads can be exceedingly watery and bland tasting.

The Goal

We wanted to come up with some easy-to-make recipes that would make the most of (and use up) some of the tomato bounty from the garden.

The Solution

We managed it without too much trouble, discovering that salting the tomatoes before mixing them into the salad brings out their juices, which make a great base for the dressing. We also discovered there's no need to peel homegrown tomatoes because their skin is usually thin and unobtrusive.

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