Super-Simple Summer Salad - Tomato and Avocado Together Make Magic

This is my super-simple go-to salad to accompany steak or to use in tacos. It's best in the summer when you can get beautiful vine-ripe juicy tomatoes. But other times of the year, a grape or cherry tomato will work. It combines many of the wonderful flavors of guacamole, but only has 3 ingredients besides oil and salt: Avocadoes, tomatoes and lime juice. Start with a couple of ripe avocadoes. Use more depending on how many people you're serving.

Use a spoon to scoop out rounded spoonfuls and drop them in a bowl. Now slice up some tomatoes. Here I used some grape tomatoes on their last legs (this is a great save for such tomatoes) If you have fresh, ripe summer tomatoes, I beg you to use them.

Now gently stir the avocadoes with the tomatoes

Give it a good squeeze of lime. Not only does it add acid to the salad dressing, it prevents the avocado from turning brown. So make sure all of the avocado is coated with a little lime juice. For two avocadoes, I used about half a lime.

Then sprinkle with salt. I prefer kosher salt. I think it's easier to handle. Though for this, sea salt would be pretty tasty as well. I suppose regular old Morton's would work as well. But it just sounds better to say sea salt and Kosher salt. Don't be stingy with the salt. It's really the only additional flavoring to the mild flavor of avocado & sweet acidity of tomato.

Now a splash of olive oil. Just enough to coat everything.

Give it all another nice gentle stir and salad is served. If you're going to store this for long, make sure to put plastic wrap down close over the avocadoes to avoid mean old Mr. Oxidization. Brown salads ain't pretty.

This is a great accompaniment to a steak or topper for a burger or hot dog. It also goes great in a steak taco or if you don't dig on meat, it's pretty delicious all on its own. If you get your hands on some ripe tomatoes, please give it a try.