Tomatoes on the side

Tomatoes

Let's start with a simple one.

Know how you just don't have the time to do anything nutritious on a busy day? You started with sugary cereal, lunched on a bag of crisps and now that the day has come to an end, you really don't feel like doing more than heating some left over pasta, or baking a grilled cheese sandwich...and yet you want to get some of that necessary veggie/fruit thing into your system. It's not hard.

Easiest one is tomatoes. Most anyone has some in the fridge, or bits and pieces left from other meals.

Now the nicest would be straight from the plant, of course, but Organic comes in second place, followed, just barely by the cheap supermarket kind that you got on sale, but which looked an impressive plastic red. Hah. Whatever you have, it'll do in a pinch.

The amounts here are variable. I like rich tastes, so I lean toward a small handful of this, a pinch of that... It's not an exact science, have some fun with it. Worst case scenario you don't like it and will have to reduce the measures next time around.

Herbs: I prefer them fresh, but you can't always have them, so the dried variety will have to do in that case.

Tomatoes...however many you feel like. I would go for two or three mid-sizes per person, but have at it. You can do sandwich tomatoes, cherries, Italian...whatever you have, or a mix. Diced into small cubes, or quartered.

Parsley: A tablesp if it's fresh; chopped. A big pinch if dried.

Oregano: A teasp if it's fresh; chopped. A small pinch if dried.

Basil: 2 Tablesp if it's fresh; chopped. 2 big pinches if dried.

Thyme: (optional) 1 small branch if fresh: chopped. Tiny pinch if dried.
Rosemary: (optional) 1 small branch if fresh: chopped. Tiny pinch if dried.

Pepper: 2 turns, or a knife point. Black/white/cayenne...personal choice.

Salt: to taste.

Sugar: small pinch, bigger one if the tomatoes were cheap. If you're off sugar, substitute with a spoon of liquid honey.

Vinegar: 1 tablesp.

Olive oil: 3-4 tablesp.

For that bit of extra effort, you can ad...

Garlic: 1 clove. Diced.

And/or:

Onion:  1 teasp. Diced.

Or:

Sesame seeds: 1 teasp.

Put your seasoning in the bowl with your olive oil and let it stand while you chop your tomatoes. Mix it all together in a bowl, and serve. Doesn't get much easier than that.