Tomato and Avocado Salad

If you can scrounge up any more tomatoes from the garden, this is a pretty fabulous (and pretty to look at) salad, which I made for dinner this evening. It calls for large heirloom tomatoes, but I just used halved cherry and plum tomatoes I gathered from both the Good Things Garden and our household's raised beds. I also opted for the gluten-free version and used quinoa in place of the orzo. (This recipe came from the blog, Love & Lemons.)

Heirloom Tomato, & Avocado Salad

Yield: serves 2 as a main, 3-4 as a side

Ingredients

• about 3 medium heirloom tomatoes
• olive oil
• sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo
• 1 clove of garlic
• a bit handful of arugula
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked & drained
• 1/2 large avocado, diced
• juice of 1/2 a small lemon
• handful of fresh basil
• pine nuts
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatoes into approx 1-inch pieces. Place in a bowl with a few tablespoons of sherry vinegar, a splash of olive oil, 1/2 a smashed garlic clove (remove it later), and a few pinches of salt & pepper. Let the tomatoes marinate at room temp (stirring occasionally), while you prep everything else. Taste and adjust seasonings as it sits.
2. Cook the orzo in salted boiling water for 7-9 minutes or until al dente. While you're waiting for it, take a large bowl and rub the inside of it with the cut side of the other half of your garlic clove.
3. Drain your orzo and place it (warm) into the bowl. Add a good glug of olive oil, then the arugula, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Dice your avocado and season it with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of salt.
5. Place the orzo salad onto a serving plate (or just keep it in the same bowl).
6. Take the tomatoes and drain out most of the liquid at the bottom of their bowl (this will keep your salad from becoming too watery). Find that smashed garlic clove and remove it. Place the tomatoes onto the salad with the diced avocado, basil and pine nuts. Taste and adjust seasonings one last time.

Notes

gluten free: sub out orzo for quinoa (adjust cooking method accordingly).