Strawberry (and Tomato) Fields Forever
Strawberries and tomatoes, sitting in a tree...
How we all doing? It’s a hot one in my part of the world today. Even if I could turn on my oven for some cooking, I wouldn’t.
Speaking of, for those that have been following for a while, you’ll be happy to know that my kitchen renovation is coming to an end. Two, three more weeks tops and I’ll finally have the functioning kitchen of my dreams and my home life will return to some semblance of normalcy.
Once the dust settles, I’ll be working on some cook-along videos to go with the recipe posts. These will be premium content, so you gotta pay a little if you want me in the kitchen cooking alongside you (virtually.) The recipe posts (like the one you’re reading now) and all my other writing will remain free, don’t you worry. But I do need to try and pull in a little capital. Think about how much value I bring to you!
Anyways, the heat. It’s schvitz-y out there. Well over 40 degrees celsius with the humidex. We want something fresh and light to eat. One of Liz’s favorite summertime recipes was just what the doctor ordered. It’s a little early in the season for it, but I’m happy to serve her tomato and strawberry salad.
Tomatoes and strawberries are natural friends that most people don’t associate with each other. Many things that tomatoes love, strawberries love also. Things like olive oil, black pepper, basil, balsamic vinegar, bocconcini and Parmesan cheeses.
Of course, there’s not much else to say about a dish like this. The more in-season and ripe your tomatoes and strawberries are, the better your salad will be. Toss lightly, season liberally, and taste, taste, taste. These flavours work so well together that they do most of the work for you. If you bust this dish out when tomato and strawberry seasons peak and overlap, it’s a 100% slam dunk, harder to mess up than to make.
Tomato & Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
595g (21oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
510g (18oz.) strawberries, stems discarded, thinly sliced
200g (7oz.) baby bocconcini, drained and halved
1 bunch basil, leaves only, roughly torn
100g (3.5oz.) Parmesan cheese, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Method:
Gently toss together the tomatoes, strawberries, bocconcini, basil and Parmesan, just until evenly mixed.
Season the salad well with salt and pepper, tossing gently again to distribute the seasoning evenly
Drizzle olive oil around the perimeter of the bowl, toss gently to coat evenly.
Sprinkle just a few drops of vinegar over the salad, toss and taste for seasoning. The vinegar should just register as little sparks of sweet sourness through the mellow fat of the olive oil. Adjust seasoning as necessary and serve immediately.
What? It’s a salad? How many steps did you expect? As an aside, if you chop the tomatoes a bit more, this makes an absolutely heavenly topping for a summertime bruschetta.
Speaking of summertime, a beautiful bowl of ripe cherries is the perfect follow-up to this salad.
So, that’s it! Liz and I are happy to eat this fresh, fruity salad as we dream of the end of our renovations. These flavours are tried and true: tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil are cornerstones of the Italian kitchen. The addition of ripe, sweet strawberries is a no-brainer.
Do you guys out there have a favorite summer salad? What do you think of this simple little number? I’d love to know in the comments below, or via email! Until next time, friends!
Love this recipe!