Basil Tomatoes

When summer tomatoes are in their peak, do less. This barely-a-recipe is exactly that: thick slices of ripe tomato bathed in a simple basil-and-vinegar dressing, then chilled until the flavors marry into something far greater than the sum of seven simple ingredients.

The 2-hour chill is the whole game here. The salt pulls juice out of the tomatoes, that juice mingles with the oil and vinegar, and what was a vinaigrette becomes a tomato-rich syrup that pools at the bottom of the bowl. Tip the bowl, spoon that liquid back over the slices, and you have something extraordinary.

Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. Hothouse and pale grocery-store specimens will leave you with watery, bland slices, no matter how good the dressing. Heirlooms or vine-ripened beefsteaks at peak season are what this recipe is built for.

A pinch of garlic powder rather than fresh is intentional. Fresh garlic can dominate after 2 hours, while powdered just whispers. That said, if you only have fresh, mince it microscopically.

Serve alongside grilled chicken, as a topping for crusty bread, or scattered over pasta for an instant tomato sauce.

Pro Tips

• Slice tomatoes thick, not thin. Quarter-inch slices hold their shape; paper-thin ones go limp.
• Use a quality red wine or balsamic vinegar. White vinegar reads harsh in a recipe this minimal.
• Salt and let sit for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the dressing. The salt draws out water and concentrates the flavor.
• Tear fresh basil leaves rather than chopping. Chopping bruises the leaves and turns them dark; tearing keeps them green and bright.
• Eat at room temperature, not cold. Refrigerator-cold tomatoes lose flavor and texture.

Variations

• Add a handful of small fresh mozzarella balls for an instant Caprese-style salad.
• Toss with cooked orzo or farro for a chilled grain salad lunch.
• Drizzle with a high-quality balsamic vinegar reduction just before serving.