Tomato, Tomahto: It's all food to us.

Ode to the onion

Sometimes, it's hard for me to remember that until four years ago, I didn't eat onions. Now, I can hardly imagine my life without them. How is it possible that I didn't always love the spicy kick of a red onion in a salad, or grilled onions on a Safeco Field hot dog, or the white onion/green onion double whammy of my favorite pho? The sad truth is that I grew up the child of onion-haters. For as long as I can remember, my dad has followed up the ordering of nearly every restaurant dish with the phrase "Does that come with green onions? Hold the green onions." And to this day, I'll tell my mom about a new recipe, and she'll say, "Does that have onions in it? Oh...[sarcastically]...deleeecious."

But when I moved in with the girls during our senior year of college, I had a choice to make. Sure, I could eschew onions -- but that meant that I wouldn't be eating most of what Robin cooked, which would have been a shame indeed. So I took the plunge, and I've never looked back.

This recipe -- tomato and onion salad -- is one of my favorite ways to eat them. But you should really only make it with the best possible tomatoes and fresh herbs from your mother's garden (especially if she grew them just for you, like mine did!).

This is a very personal salad, I think; it should really be up to you how much of each ingredient you use. The last time I made it, for instance, I probably overdid it on the parsley, and the balance would have been slightly better if I'd used one more tomato. You should feel free to do whatever you want with the proportions. Think of this as a suggestion.

Tomato and onion salad, adapted from Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals

4 vine-ripened or farmers' market tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 of a white onion, sliced very thinly
Several sprigs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped (or substitute equal amount of fresh basil)
Olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper (optional) to taste

Combine tomatoes, onion, and parsley. Add a dab of olive oil -- not too much, just enough to make it easy to mix. Toss ingredients together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve immediately (I also like it chilled, straight from the fridge, but you really should eat some right away). It's great by itself, especially on a hot day, but it is also an excellent accompaniment for Erin's Tuna Pasta.

posted by shan at 10:43 PM;