Salads
Farmers markets are now bursting with delicious ingredients for salads. While I have yet to truly master grain salads, I thought I had tried most green salad combinations. Nevertheless, my love of caprese salads led me to a new flavor combination.
Tomatoes
Supermarket tomatoes cannot compare with their vine – ripened farmer’s market counterparts. While the season lasts, I buy every variety of heirloom tomato available. The depth and range of flavors make a salad of tomatoes and scallions or tomatoes and mozzarella a staple of my meals.
Sun Gold Tomatoes
Sun Gold tomatoes are my absolute favorite. Small, juicy and sweet, they are perfect as a snack or in salads. Sadly local squirrels discovered my Sun Gold plants so I rely on the farmer’s market to keep me supplied.
Peaches
I also love juicy peaches, but somehow I missed them this year. With the peach season soon coming to an end, I bought a box. Unfortunately my love of fruit does not extend to my family, and soon I was struggling to finish them while they were at their best.
Peaches and Tomatoes
After a casual search of tomato salads I came across a combination I had never tried: peaches and tomatoes. An article in last summer’s Food & Wine, “5 Reasons Peaches and Tomatoes are the Ultimate Summer Pairing” was the source of my epiphany, and I couldn’t wait to try it. It would be the perfect vehicle for both my bounty from the market and the herbs in my garden. With the addition of some cheese and nuts for protein and some spinach for fiber, it would be a perfect lunch.
Lunch
For other other simple lunch ideas try my recipes for a Ploughman’s Lunch Sandwich, Smooth Gazpacho or Cold Beet Soup.
Recipe
Peach, Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves:1
2 handfuls spinach
3 slices of peach
1/2 cup Sun Gold tomatoes
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup of goat cheese
basil
chives, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil together in the bottom of a salad bowl. Add spinach. Layer peaches, tomatoes, walnuts and goat cheese over the spinach. Sprinkle with basil leaves and chives. Toss until lightly coated with dressing. Serve.