An unusual tomato salad, exceptionally fresh tasting it contains no oil—and terrific with any grilled food. You certainly don’t need to be making an Indian meal to serve it.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 large or 4 medium tomatoes

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1 small fresh chile, like Thai or jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or to taste

　　3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Core the tomatoes, then slice them. Arrange them on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper; let sit for about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, combine the ginger with some more salt and pepper, the chile, and about 3 tablespoons lime juice.

　　

Step 3

Drain any liquid that has accumulated around the tomatoes, then dress with the ginger-lime mixture. Taste and add more lime juice if necessary, then garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.