Easy Salad Story

Titling this blog easy salad may sound like I am repeating myself, because aren't all salads easy? Well maybe, but this one is super easy. Plus this salad reminds me of a story, and isn't any dish so much better when you have a story to go with it?

As a child I never really cared much for going to Grandma and Grandpa Patton's house. It wasn't really kid friendly. The house was small and dimly lit, and the furniture probably hadn't been updated since World War II. I don't remember sweet baking aromas filling the house, but to me, a boy at the age of 8, it just smelled like, well, old people. Granpa Patton was the gruff and grumpy sort, who just sat in a chair disagreeing loudly with whatever Grandma said. I was half scared of the man.

One evening my parents and Grandma were heading out for some event or meeting and I found myself unlucky enough to be spending the evening with Grandpa Patton. Great. I figured I was either going to die of boredom, or be yelled at all evening to not break anything. Upon arriving, Grandpa was in his usual chair in front of the tv, and I settled in on the couch and figured I was doomed to be subjected to hours of "old people shows".

I remember the room being dark with the exception of the flickering light of the television, glinting dully off the old rabbit ears. To you kids, rabbit ears are what allowed us to get a big four channel selection on tv before the days of cable. Yet, this evening instead of "old people shows", Grandpa was watching Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman. We laughed together while watching ol' Luke win the bet to eat all those hard-boiled eggs, sat in tense anticipation at the escape attempt, and growled and shook our fists at the mean prison guards. Thanks to Paul Newman, Grandpa Patton and I bonded that night. For the years afterward, until Grandpa passed away, whenever we saw each other we would sit and talk about that movie. Although I never really knew that much about my grandfather, I now will always think about him laughing and talking about ol' Luke. "Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker."

So by this point you are probably thinking what in the world this story has to do with salad. Well many years after filming Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman went on to have a little company called Newman's Own, which now has a pretty damn nice array of salad dressings. Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette is one of the three key components in this recipe. Strangely enough, whenever I pick up a bottle at the grocery store, it always reminds me of watching that film with Grandpa Patton.

Ingredients

6 Large Ripe Tomatoes (the firmer the better)
6 Large Avocados
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette (to taste)

Preparation

Rough chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Cut the avocados in half and scoop out the inside. Throw away the seed and skins, and rough chop the avocados into bite sized pieces. Put both tomatoes and avocados in a bowl. Add the Balsamic Vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. You can add as little or as much of the Vinaigrette to your taste. Serve.

This salad is simple and quick, and is great for those who have little to no kitchen skills. I wouldn't suggest making this salad to far in advance, since avocados tend to turn brown after being exposed to the air for too long and don't look very appetizing. This is a great summer salad and goes well with any cookout!