[Liz]

Summer Tomato and Olive Relish
Spice up your late-summer dishes with an easy homemade relish. This one packs a variety of produce with vine-ripe tomatoes, sweet onion and savory Kalamata olives. Kick the mild Mediterranean flavor up a notch with a few dashes of chili sauce. Serve over fresh fish or chicken or use as a healthy spread on sandwiches.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. firm vine-ripe tomatoes, preferably beefsteak variety
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce or chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Makes 6 servings (~1/2 cup).

Per serving: 45 calories, 1.5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 320 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 0 g added sugar.

Directions
Peel tomatoes, using either serrated swivel-blade vegetable peeler or hot water method*.
Halve tomatoes crosswise and scoop out seeds. Finely chop tomatoes including inner flesh.
Place chopped tomatoes in mixing bowl. Add onion, olives, chili sauce, salt and pepper and combine.
Cover relish and refrigerate 1 hour.

Notes
To peel tomatoes using the hot water method, drop 2-3 tomatoes at a time into a large pot of boiling water until the skins crack, 1-2 minutes. Immediately transfer tomatoes to a bowl of ice water. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to pull off the skin. Halve tomatoes lengthwise and use your thumb to push out seeds, then your fingers to remove pulpy ribs.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That sounds so good! One could also use canned tomatoes from the previous summer, I would think.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thanks Liz! Will have to try it!

[MomwithHope]

Hi Liz! That sounds good for hubby I will print out for him. Me, no olives.

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

Your prep of the tomatoes is totally new to me, I'll have to try it someday with my tomato blossoms just now getting started. Tonight's treat was half a roma tomato mixed with cottage cheese, and some cayenne pepper. Good stuff!

I know I'm coming late to the dance here, (garage sale weekend with neighbors and family kept me from the thread) but does anyone have experience growing romaine lettuce? This is my first time ever. Can I just wack off a few lettuce leaves for lunch or would that mess with growing a romaine lettuce heart?