tomato and broccoli salad

nothing says summer like fresh, home-grown tomatoes.  nothing.

so when i go home to visit my parents in summer, i of course carry off as many as i think i can possibly eat.  and normally i might be content with simply slicing them onto a plate, adding a dash of salt and pepper, and either eating them with a fork or between two pieces of bread.  but i thought i'd try something different today.

ingredients:
- 1 medium tomato (in this case, i think it was a better boy)
- 2  trees of broccoli (is "tree" the technical term?)
- crumbled feta cheese (i used a garlic and herb variety)
- basil
- cracked black pepper

preparation:
cut up the broccoli and tomato (i peel the tomato, too), add a liberal amount of basil, feta, and black pepper.  stir and dig in.

verdict:
i had originally intended to use cucumber instead of broccoli, but the cucumbers at the grocery store were not very good looking.  and i wasn't near any farm stand to pick a good one.  but in the end, i'm glad...the broccoli was a nice crunch, and i think a cucumber might have made the whole thing too watery.

this can never replace a tomato sandwich, but it's definitely a worthwhile side dish.  or, you know, as the meal itself...whatever works!