How to Make a Tasty, Quick and Easy Tomato Relish

This is one of my recipes that I originally posted on HubPages when I first started posting recipes on that site.  The photos are blah but they will have to do for the moment.  I'll be remaking this recipe as soon as the tomatoes in the garden are ready.  Honestly, I can't WAIT.  I love this relish.

Nothing pleases my pallet more than a relish that has an intriguing flavor that jumps off the taste buds and causes me to fight back the urge to just yell out the word YUM. This relish does exactly that. The apple cider vinegar in combination with the garlic and onion creates a taste bud experience that is so amazing that it can only be described as a sour sweet experience that is more pleasing than candy that doesn't leave you feeling like you are going into sugar overload. It screams summer and is a light relish that will not weigh you down in the summer heat.

The tomatoes should be as fresh off the vine as possible. Since it is tomato season, I made this lovely relish with one of our first tomatoes off the vine in the garden. You will want to choose a type of tomato that is juicy for the best experience with this recipe. A drier tomato will work but you will not experience as much of the tomato flavor and juice texture. So when dicing your tomato, be sure to cut it over the dish so all of the juice will fall into the mixture.

Fresh tomatoes out of last year's garden.

It is quick and easy to make. The second longest part of making this is dicing the tomato and onion. The longest part is allowing it to marinate in the fridge long enough for the flavors to meld and create the pure and utter heavenly flavor. Just the scent of this lovely relish will tempt you while you are putting it together but you have to be patient.

The amounts I am listing are enough for 2 people, depending on how it is served. Be forewarned though, it's good stuff so you may very well run out quickly! 

Ingredients for the Tomato Relish

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon or 5 leaves of fresh basil
• fresh ground pepper, to your taste
• salt (sea salt) to your taste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil

How to Put it Together

1. Dice the tomatoes and onions into large squares. Chop the basil if you have chosen to use fresh (and it is much better if you do) and chop the garlic into small pieces.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. It is easier to use a bowl that has a lid. If your bowl doesn't have a lid, make sure you have plastic wrap to close the top off once you are finished mixing the relish.
3. After you have mixed all of the ingredients in the bowl, either cover with plastic wrap or put the lid on the bow. Put the relish in the fridge for at least 3 hours to allow all of the flavors to meld together. Longer is better and overnight is ideal. Yes, it will be difficult to wait that long but the wait is worth it.
4. Serve this with a hard crusty bread, crackers or top your favorite mixture of leafy greens for an unbelievable salad. It's a versatile relish that can be used for so many things so be sure to try it in as many different ways that your imagination can come up with.

There is seriously too much yummy there.  :)