Twice Tomato, Triple Onion, Four Herb Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes (use varying colors and types if you have them) 
• 1/3 pound green tomatoes (unripened), sliced in rounds
• 1 small red onion or Vidalia onion
• 4 scallions, ends trimmed, sliced thinly in rounds
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup of your choice of four fresh herbs, chopped:
• • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Mint
  • Sage
  • Tarragon
  • Vietnamese Mint
  • Thai Basil
  • Marjoram
• 2 tablespoons chive flower vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Line a plate with paper towel and lightly sprinkle it with salt. Slice the green tomatoes thinly and arrange them on the paper towel and sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes lightly with salt. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Slice the ripe tomatoes appropriately for their size and shape. I like to cut the large ones into thin wedges. I cut the cherry and grape tomatoes in half and the Roma tomatoes into fourths or rounds. If you only have large tomatoes, cut half of them into thin wedges and the remainder into chunks.
3. Slice half the red onion thinly in rings and the remainder thinly into half rounds.
4. Arrange the red tomato wedges in a circle on a large plate or platter. Top with a smaller circle of red onion rings and a slightly smaller circle of green tomatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Mix the smaller tomatoes or chunks with remaining onion, scallions, 2/3 of the chives and herbs. Add vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mound mixture on the center of the plate so you can still see the green tomato circle. Garnish with remaining chives. Serve immediately.

Notes

I use a serrated knife to cut my tomatoes. My favorite is a serrated paring knife Wüsthof gave me at an event I attended last year.