Nectarine and Tomato Salad

Last week I had the chance to check out a dinner at 18 reasons. 18 reasons is a great organization which has cooking classes and generally supports the food movement happening here in the Bay Area. The reason I went though was to enjoy a feast by two amazing bloggers/cooks/artists - Kimberly Hasselbrink from The Year in Food and Erin Gleeson from The Forest Feast. They both have beautiful blogs and have come out with cookbooks recently.

Last week I had the chance to check out a dinner at 18 reasons. 18 reasons is a great organization which has cooking classes and generally supports the food movement happening here in the Bay Area. The reason I went though was to enjoy a feast by two amazing bloggers/cooks/artists - Kimberly Hasselbrink from The Year in Food and Erin Gleeson from The Forest Feast. They both have beautiful blogs and have come out with cookbooks recently. They joined forces in creating a "Vibrant Feast" - 4 courses of fresh, delicious, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. The menu included an amazing roasted red pepper soup, as well a zucchini pasta dish with green goddess dressing and finished with a perfect summer fruit crisp. But the one dish I am still dreaming about is Erin's nectarine and tomato salad. Nectarines and tomatoes, the pairing seems so obvious right? Sweet and savory? I have had watermelon and tomato salad, which I love but had never thought about swapping in nectarines. But after trying it, it seems like they belong with each other. Why in the world have I not had this before!? I love the addition of feta for that saltiness and sweetness from the pecans. Fresh herbs always makes everything taste better and this salad is topped with basil and mint. I served this salad to Luke recently and he proclaimed that it was the best salad he has ever had in his life. This is actually saying a lot, given this is the same man who when I met him 6 years ago did not eat a single vegetable. He even took the lettuce off sandwiches. So for him to say that, means it is good. The recipe below is almost identical to similar to Erin's, I added some white balsamic vinegar for a little acid but that is the only modification. So the next time you are trying to figure out what to make for yourself and picky eaters alike, serve this nectarine and tomato salad. It is summertime heaven on a plate. Make sure you grab a copy of both Kimberly and Erin's books - they are really inspiring and have some fantastic recipes. They look at food from an artistic view so all the recipes are colorful and vibrant.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 firm but ripe nectarines, thinly sliced
3 ripe heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
1/4 cup mint
1/4 cup basil

Method:

In a large bowl combine the nectarines, tomatoes, feta, red onion and pecans. Toss with vinegar and a large drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle salt, mint and basil.

Nectarine and Tomato Salad