Summer Tomato Salad
There's only one cooking process in this toss-together summer dish, and it can be done while you chop your fruits!
Ingredients:
2 cups cherry tomatoes, preferably multiple varieties
1/2 sweet summer melon, cantaloupe, honeydew, et c.
I 8 oz brick of feta cheese
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, torn
2 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 tsp sumac
Pickled red onions to taste (see below)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Pickled Red Onions
1 medium red onion
1/2 cup vinegar, apple cider or white wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp caraway seeds
boiling water
Method:
1. Pickled Red Onions: Slice red onion into thin half-moons and place in heat-safe glass bowl. Toss with salt, sugar, and caraway seeds, and cover with vinegar. Pour about 1/2 cup (enough to cover onions) boiling water over mixture, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit.
2. Halve cherry tomatoes and salt lightly. Leave them upside down on a plate to drain some liquid.
3. Cut melon into 1/2 inch cubes, set aside.
4. Cut feta in half once, and then slice on the short side into planks, about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Combine tomatoes and melon in a large bowl, season with Aleppo pepper and sumac.
6. Add feta planks, pickled red onion, and torn mint leaves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and about 1 tsp of the pickling liquid, and toss gently, allowing the feta planks to fall apart naturally.
7. Give it a taste, add a bit of flaky sea salt and some cracked pepper, and serve! Great cold or at room temperature.
Tip: If making ahead, be sure to drain off about half of the liquid that will occur as the fruits sit.