Finally, the summer has also reached Hamburg. Fantastic 30°C outside. All the water and the green around Hamburg helps to stay cool and fresh. In the really warm days I don’t like to sweat in the kitchen around the hot pots and in the steamy clouds. Who likes that? So we have the lakes and rivers to jump in, the trees to hide under in a shadow, all we still need is food. What about a salad? Quick and fresh. What about a tomato salad? Quick, refreshing and juicy. What about a tomato salad with something sweet? I used nectarines, but you can either use those or peaches. Both will work great with this recipe.
I like tomatoes, but alone in the salad, they are just a little boring. Therefore, I have made some improvements to my tomato salad; juicy, colourful, sweet, cheesy, refreshing.
Ingredients:
- 300 g cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 2 nectarines (ripe, but not overripe or too mushy)
- some basil leaves
- 150 g Feta cheese
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tsp raspberry vinegar
I wanted to make a new salad dressing; something that would go nicely with the salad, something fresh and sweet rather than a typical sour salad dressing. I started with the basic stuff; olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I wanted the dressing to be sweet, so I thought about honey. Also as next take a tea spoon of any honey and mix it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I got the sweetness, but I still wanted some fruity aroma. Adding some raspberry vinegar, that my boyfriend’s mother has made, made a big difference. Probably you can also find it in any big supermarket. Now I had everything for the salad dressing.
Wash the tomatoes and the nectarines (you can use also normal peach). Now take half of the tomatoes and cut them in half, the other half stays as it is.
Let’s see how to cut the nectarine. The best is to pick a ripe nectarine that is still a little hard and soft at the same time. Take a serrated knife (with the blade like a saw); you don’t want a dull edge of your chef’s knife because of the nectarine’s hard pit. Make a cut into the fruit down to the pit. Make a slice along the seam; all the way around the pit. Furthermore, twist the two halves with your hands and divide them. Take the half with the pit in it and slice along lengthwise. Gently (using your hands) take apart the two parts. You should be able to remove the pit easily now. Slice the nectarine in 1/8; so the half in half and that in half again. You can also make smaller segments.
Take the feta cheese. I like it because it’s salty and not too soft. Cut it in 1 or 2 cm cubes. Finally, we are ready to mix all together. Take a salad bowl, put in the tomatoes, nectarine pieces, Feta cheese and some basil leaves. On top pour the dressing and give it a gentle stir.
The tomato salad with nectarine is done. No sweat! Like I said, fresh, fruity and juicy. Serve it with some bread and white wine.
Enjoy!
