Mother’s Day was the final salad with lettuces from the garden. I am going through deep withdrawal! I was eating salads every day for lunch and loving it. So many ways to eat lettuce and yet too short a season. It is far too hot and humid here now for the lettuce to survive. The good news though, tomatoes are just around the corner.
As I’ve said before we have 51 tomato plants. I am still not sure how that happened, but I look forward to all the ways I can eat my garden’s bounty. In anticipation of all the tomatoes I came up with this seasoned salt.
I have thought about making garlic salt for a while now, we use it so often. You know, the kind you buy in the jar with parsley flakes in it. Then I pondered my dear tomatoes. There is nothing quite like fresh tomatoes, sliced and simply sprinkled with salt and pepper.
My other favorite way to eat tomatoes is in the form of a caprese salad. So I figured why not put the basil in the garlic salt instead of parsley. Now I will be able to enjoy a fresh tomato with basil, without having to make an entire caprese salad every time. Don’t get me wrong, I will still be eating tomatoes, basil and mozzarella in just about any form imaginable, but this will be quick and easy.
Garlic and Basil Sea Salt
1/2 c. coarse sea salt
3 Tbs. fresh basil, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet, folding the edges up. Spread the salt on the foil so there are no clumps. Bake for about 20 minutes until the basil and garlic are dried. As soon as you remove it from the oven rub the back of a spoon over the salt to break up any clumps that formed. Allow to cool completely before storing in a jar or salt box.
Feeding My 3 Sons 
51 tomato plants? Wowza. Love the garlic salt idea–nice. Happy Belated Mother’s Day to you 🙂 Love your salad stories.
Needless to say you will be seeing a lot of tomato posts when they come in! They have their blossoms now so soon enough I will be overrun with tomatoes!
Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by! I will be making many more seasoned salts in the future!
I will have to try infusing salts; one of my favorite things is a flavorful salt. Saffron salt? Truffle salt? This looks awesome, Gretchen.
I know, so many flavoring choices. One that was in my preserving cookbook is vanilla salt. How brilliant, sprinkled on a chocolate/salted caramel dessert! I will be trying that when my vanilla beans arrive, just ordered 25!
Gretchen, we are doing vanilla beans for this month’s challenge if you want to join in. Vanilla salt – or sugar – sounds delicious. A friend recently sent me cinnamon salt, yum yum. PS 25 vanilla beans sounds about as good as 25 truffles or 25 saffron strands!
Hopefully they arrive soon. I have plans already, just in time for Ewan’s preschool graduation next week. When is the publish date for the vanilla bean challenge?
It’s May 29 @ 3 PM. Congrats to Ewan!
What a great idea! 🙂
Thanks! It was indeed wonderful. Just had it on roasted asparagus with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and zest tonight. The kids were begging for more only it was gone in a heartbeat!
Something else for me to try! Homegrown tomatoes are so amazing, enjoy them.
51 tomato plants!! My dad would be so jealous for sure!! 🙂 Great Salt idea Gretchen 🙂
Love love love x
Oh my! That was a pretty short season for lettuce but at least you ate it while it was available. I also love tomatoes just sprinkled with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice. What a great shortcut to caprese salad. I think it tastes nice. Have a wonderful weekend!
Love the idea of the basil salt. I can’t imagine the size of your garden with 51 tomato plants. Would love to know what varieties you like to grow.
Today’s post has pictures from the garden as well as a list of the tomato varieties. Hopefully I will be able to use them all!
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Love the idea with garlic, need to try it!
So easy and yet flavorful and versatile.