Farmer's Market Tomato Salad

This is a sort of universal Tomato Salad. You can modify it with whatever you happen to have at hand, herb wise, but it is only really worth making when the tomatoes are local, vine ripened and taste like tomato fresh fruits. You can use cubed mozzarella cheese or not. It can sometimes make for a bulkier, more filling dish and it doesn't detract from the salad; you might not always want to use it, though. Certainly the salad is lighter without it. In keeping with the premium quality of the tomatoes, use your best oil, garlic and what not.

The garlic will get stronger the longer it sits so you don't want to make this very far ahead of time unless you are going to use it the next day in a bread salad. If you are -DON'T ADD THE BASIL until the next day when you are going to make the bread salad because the basil will turn black.

Tomatoes - Couple of pounds of various varieties of tomato, cut into slices and wedges. Use as many varieties as you can find.
Olive oil. The oil is largely for flavor so you don't need a lot, but use what you like. I use several tablespoons.
Fresh Chopped garlic
Salt - Tablespoon or so depending on your tolerance/taste for salt. I use a lot.
Balsamic Vinegar. Start slow with a sprinkle or two, but use as much as you like. Taste as you add because it can suddenly become overwhelming.
Fresh squeezed juice of half a regular lemon [Very optional]
Fresh Basil

Put cut up tomatoes in a bowl.
Toss with salt, chopped garlic, balsamic vinegar [Taste as you add because balsamic can suddenly become overwhelming.] and let macerate for an hour or so.
Add olive oil and toss again.
If using lemon juice, add it and toss.
Shred Basil and toss with tomatoes.
Serve it up and pass with additional salt and pepper.
A toasty bread to soak up remaining juices goes well with this . I don't usually serve it on a plate with anything else because it is a real stand alone, stand out salad... and it throws off quite a lot of juice, something not to go unconsumed.