Heirloom Tomato and Goats Cheese Salad

This is not really a recipe, but a big huge run-to-the-farmers-market right now recommendation!

Heirloom tomatoes are amazing! So so tasty, better than any tomato I have had from a shop, up there with fresh from the garden tomatoes. They are basically tomatoes that have been openly (naturally) pollinated, ‘non-hybrids’… naturally grown! And the taste proves it. Read more here.

I am going to be keeping my eyes out for these, they are more expensive but so so worth it.

You can see by all the different colours you are putting goodness into your salad.

They come in all sizes too, check out these bad boy!

You need;
a selection of tomatoes, different colours is good here
a pack of/150g soft goats cheese
semi skimmed milk – up to 50ml
basil and/or mint
sea salt
(rough quantities but I estimate you could make 6-8 little starter size salads or 2-4 main size salads with this amount of cheese)

1. First pop your goats cheese into a large mixing bowl and pour a little of the milk in and whip with an electic mixer until combined, keep going until the cheese becomes a good mousse texture and is airy and light.

2. Make your herb salt by chopping up your soft herbs and blending with seat salt until combined (you need very little so use as much salt as you think you’ll need or make extra to use on other dishes)

3. We also made a very simple light dressing by cooking a little vinegar, white, white wine or cider would work here, with some sugar until it reduced a little, then added the tomato juices.

 

So to make this pretty salad (it’s so pretty I think I must have taken 50+ photographs!) we start with a big slice of the big tomato for a base…

Then arranged our chopped tomatoes on top

Then start to add your cheese, we made our into little balls using teaspoons… then placed them on top of the arrangement.

Then drizzled the dressing and arranged some pea shoots (my fave green garnish) and then sent them off to our guests. We also made a little salad for ourselves and I have to say it really is the perfect summer starter I cannot think of anything nice than sitting in my garden eating (a big version) this with a glass of white wine.

Tonight!

I apologise for the many many photographs but I just love the colourful prettiness I couldn’t stop snapping, I hope you enjoyed them!