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This is a marvelous Mediterranean-style salad of red tomatoes, red peppers and red onions you can serve on vibrant blue platter to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Why try? It’s a dish you can make ahead of time and hold. Great for potlucks.

Foodie Byte: An easy way to peel tomatoes is to dip them in boiling water for 5 seconds and the skin will come right off.

Ingredients

• 2 large red peppers
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and vertically sliced
• 6 large, ripe tomatoes
• Basil-Mint Dressing
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Preparation

1. Preheat the broiler. Cut red peppers in half vertically and seed them. Place the pepper halves, cut side down, along with the onion strips, in a shallow pan. Broil the vegetables until the pepper skins start to shrivel and pucker, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Peel and seed the tomatoes. Peel the peppers and cut them into ¼-wide strips. Place them, along with the onions, in a large mixing bowl.
3. To prepare the Basil-Mint Dressing: combine oil, vinegar and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the capers, basil and mint and pour this dressing over the vegetables.
4. Gently toss the salad, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.