Tomato salad

Salt the tomatoes just before serving, rather than letting them sit salted for ages, and dress the salad at the last moment. If you need a drier salad for sandwiches, scoop out the watery seed gel and let the cut tomatoes drain briefly.

Usually not: the skin helps the slices hold their shape and adds texture. If the skin is tough, score a small cross in the base, blanch the tomato for about 20 seconds, then cool it in cold water and peel.

Choose ripe tomatoes that still feel firm, with fragrant skin and no soft or bruised patches. Beef tomatoes make generous slices; cherry tomatoes are handy halved, while mixed colours and shapes make a more varied-looking salad.

A simple dressing of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt and black pepper lets ripe tomatoes shine. Add the salt shortly before serving, and tear in basil rather than chopping it finely so it bruises less.

Tomato salad pairs particularly well with fresh mozzarella or feta, basil, red onion and olives. Serve it alongside grilled fish, eggs or bread that can soak up the tomato juices.

You can slice the tomatoes and prepare the other ingredients a few hours ahead, but keep them covered in the fridge and add salt and dressing just before serving. Once dressed, the salad is best eaten straight away; refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within a day.

Tomato salad usually keeps the tomatoes in slices or chunks, often with a light dressing and other fresh ingredients. Salsa is generally chopped more finely and seasoned as a dip or condiment, so it is easier to spoon over tacos or grilled food.