Tomatoe & Basil Salad

It's that time of year when your greenhouse can be overrun with tomatoes! This year Brittany has had the best summer in 7 years and so everything has blossomed to excess including our tomato plants. What better time to concentrate on some of the non cooking recipes of summertime and this is one wonderful dish. All you need to ensure is that you have baked some nice bread earlier in the day! This is a very healthy dish as well as tasty and if you don't believe me, just take a look at this website which praises the health benefits of basil:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=85#healthbenefits

You will need: 

20 small tomatoes
1 shallot
1 handful basil leaves
½ handful oregano leaves
1 small clove garlic
1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a large serving plate. Slice the shallot into thin rings, chop the garlic as finely as you can, and scatter over the dish. Roll the basil leaves into little tubes and slice them thinly to cut it into thin strips and throw them over the salad with the whole oregano leaves.

Immediately before serving, drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over, and season with salt and plenty of pepper. Crusty fresh bread will come in handy to mop up the juices. 

You don't need to add anything else to this dish but you could apply some mozzarella cheese if you have a longing for protein or have some very hungry guests! Oh and a nice cool bottle of Sancerre will complete the magic and ensure you don't overdo it on the health side! Enjoy.