Steakhouse Tomatoes

Since becoming a food blogger three years ago (my blogiversary was a few days ago, and I totally forgot about it!) I've done a lot of reading about food, visited a lot of cooking sites, and clicked on tons of recipe links. One of my favorite online food resources is the James Beard Foundation website. The Foundation keeps very busy hosting guest chefs at the Beard House, and, of course, it also bestows the annual James Beard Awards for cookbooks and chefs. The site is a veritable font of recipes, by Beard and others.

While I was browsing the site Beard's recipe for Beefsteak Tomato and Onion Salad caught me attention. Here's how Beard introduced this recipe:

"A pleasant, simple salad or first course typical of steakhouses throughout the East and to a lesser degree in the West. It consists of thickish slices of ripe beefsteak tomatoes and good sweet onions, usually eaten with salt and freshly ground pepper and sometimes with oil and vinegar, served in cruets. Excellent with broiled foods."
-James Beard, James Beard's American Cookery (1972)

I've been in New York steak houses, but, truth be told, it's been at least 20 years since I stepped foot in one. And although I have warm recollections of the steaks we enjoyed, sliced tomatoes don't really stand out in my memory. I do love tomatoes, and Georgia is known for its sweet onions, so this recipe is a fantastic way to use our local fresh produce. As a bonus, it's a snap to put together.

n.o.e.'s notes:

- You can find the recipe on the James Beard Foundation website, here.

- I used sweet Vidalia onions from Georgia.

- Just before serving, I sprinkled some chopped fresh thyme over the salad.

the verdict:

This very simple dish is classic for a good reason: it's delicious! Using summer's best tomatoes and sweet onions, this is a perfect complement to a grilled main course.