{rustic} cherry tomato + olive salad.

I’m pretty excited to share this recipe with you.

For a couple of reasons. First of all, this salad is one you’ll be making again and again. Or at least I will. It’s my ideal starter salad for summer. It’s also from Jaime Oliver, so that’s where the fun begins. I love his food, and I love the way he writes his recipes – like he’s talking to you.

I’m also super-excited to tell you about the cookbook from which I got this recipe. It’s called, “The 150 Best American Recipes: Indispensable Recipes from Legendary Chefs and Undiscovered Cooks.” I swear by this book, so much so that I’ll be posting a separate review on it.

One of the reasons I love this book is that the authors have tested and re-tested every recipe – not only do they let you know what they discovered along the way, but they also provide great tips every cook should know. Such as: Never refrigerate tomatoes. This will destroy their flavor and turn them mealy. Who would’ve thunk it?

Now, I already told you the fun started with the carefree way Jamie writes the recipe, but the real fun is in physically making this salad. That’s right – this is physical. You crush the tomatoes with your very own hands, and you use pitted olives (because they have more flavor!), which you get to smash and de-pit yourself, too. It couldn’t be easier to make in a pinch, no recipe required: All you need to remember is 4 parts cherry tomatoes, to 1 part olives – add a splash of vinegar and olive oil, and toss in handfuls of fresh arugula and basil.

Rustic. Simple. Perfect.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Olives

From The Naked Chef Takes Off by Jamie Oliver

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors)
• 1/2 cup unpitted olives (any kind)
• Red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 handful of torn fresh basil leaves
• 1 handful of torn arugula leaves

In a large serving bowl, squash the cherry tomatoes with one hand while holding the other over them so they don’t splatter all over everything. Put the olives on a cutting board and gently smash them with a rolling pin, a cup, or even your thumb. Remove the pits and add the olives to the salad bowl.

Drizzle in a little vinegar and grind some pepper on top. Add the oil and toss. Just before serving, “rip in,” as Oliver says, the basil and arugula and toss well.

Serves 6.