The secret ingredient your salads are missing

By Melissa Clark, The New York Times

My mother loved leftover salad. No matter what a long night in the fridge had inflicted upon the lettuce and the cress, she’d pile those saturated greens onto a toasted English muffin and swear it was a better breakfast than butter and jam.

It was a predilection I could never get behind. Unless, that is, there were tomatoes involved.

Chunks of ripe tomatoes are subtly improved by a short soak in a sweet, vinegary dressing. Time gives the salt a chance to work its magic, coaxing out the fruit’s nectar so it can mingle with the garlic and herbs. Left alone for a little while, a simple tomato salad will quietly transform into a deeply flavored, marinated one.

Marinated tomatoes are so good they’re worth making on purpose, so you don’t have to rely on leftovers. And you don’t even need to plan that far ahead. Anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours will do the trick, though the longer they sit, ...