During my week taking part in the Eat Local Challenge - something I am *still* trying to incorporate into my normal routine - I had my second article due for Deep Dish over at Atlanta Cuisine. It was easy to be inspired by all of amazing produce available at the local farmer's markets during the summer months.
Beautiful heirloom tomatoes came together with a small organic-ly grown watermelon, fresh basil, and Sweetgrass Dairy goat cheese to make this delicious summer dinner salad - great textures and flavors all combined with the added bonus of being grown locally.
While some of these items may not be plentiful where you are this time of year, the premise is still the same: use what is in front of you at the time....for freshness in both taste and ideas. The loosey-goosey recipe for this salad is here at the end of the post but you can read the full article here at Atlanta Cuisine.
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Serves 2 as an entree-size salad
• 2 green zebra heirloom tomatoes - washed and cut into wedges
• 1 large mortgage lifter tomato or other red heirloom tomato - washed and cut into wedges
• 1 pint small fry, red currant or other small red tomatoes - rinsed and caps removed if desires
• 1 small watermelon - seeds removed and cut into small wedges or slices - about 8 slices per plate
• 1 8 oz. tub of Sweetgrass Dairy fresh chevre
• 1 small bunch fresh basil - washed and dried and smaller leaves picked and kept whole
• good quality extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• good quality balsamic vinegar – optional
Arrange watermelon slices on plate as desired to form the base of your salad. Scatter heirloom tomato slices over the watermelon and place smaller tomatoes whole across the plate. Sprinkle basil leaves over the entire plate and add dabs of goat cheese, to taste. Drizzle the plate with a thin stream of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If you want to take this more into the realm of a Caprese salad, you can add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to the salad. Serve immediately.
If it's true that you eat with your eyes, my eyes are salivating over those beautiful colors!!
Posted by: PaniniKathy | August 12, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Amazingly simple and beautiful! I love this idea and am going to track down some heirlooms on farmer's market Thursday this week. Yum!
Posted by: deanna | August 12, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Have I mentioned that I adore you? Yeah . . . I'm still your biggest fan. This is really beautiful. I never would have thought to combine melon with tomatoes. This is now on my menu for the coming weekend.
Posted by: Food Rockz Man | August 13, 2008 at 07:23 AM
The perfect summer dinner!
Posted by: Maria | August 13, 2008 at 10:37 AM
this looks FRESH! i love it. i'm a huge fan of watermelon salads. i'll have to try.
Posted by: Katie | August 13, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Tomatoes and watermelon are both so versatile but I never thought about putting them together. Nice colors from the green heirlooms!
Posted by: Hillary | August 14, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Looks beautiful and all the items are available fresh grown in NJ where I live. It's such a simple dish but I bet it tastes wonderful. I plan to try this one.
Posted by: Preston | August 16, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Perfect summer salad... I rarely drool over salads but this is an exception. Reminds me of that ferran adria tapas recipe.
Posted by: Jude | August 19, 2008 at 05:17 PM
When are you going to be on Splendid Table on NPR?
Posted by: Jacob | August 24, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Oh, i love watermelon and tomato.
Posted by: maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) | September 07, 2008 at 04:50 PM
the only thing better than a really good, fresh salad is a really good, fresh salad that looks like candy.
Posted by: michelle @ TNS | September 19, 2008 at 06:23 PM