Tomato, Pesto and Feta Cheese Salad
Tomato, Pesto and Feta Cheese Salad
As we are nearing the end of the growing season, my heirloom tomatoes are finally taking off and, albeit late, I’m starting to get a bumper crop! I grew seven different varieties of tomatoes including Costoluto Genovese, Orange Accordion, Black Krim, Black Strawberry, White Currant which is a cherry tomato, Black Beauty an Spoon which is also a very tiny cherry tomato.
For this recipe I’ve used the Orange Accordion (seen photo), Black Beauty as well as Black Strawberry. All three tomatoes tasted great with the combination of the pesto and the feta cheese but for presentation purposes the Orange Accordion looked the best. I should also add that this is a Palisade Posh original recipe!
Ingredients
½ Orange Accordion tomato or 1 Black Beauty tomato or 4-5 Black Strawberry tomatoes
¼ - ½ cup basil pesto (I make my own pesto – recipe follows; or you can use store bought pesto)
Crumbled Feta cheese
Directions
Cut the tomato into bit size pieces and arrange on a plate. Next drizzle the pesto over the tomatoes making sure that each piece of tomato has a bit of pesto on it. Crumble the Feta cheese over the pesto and tomato and serve.
Pesto Sauce
From the Everyday Italian cookbook by Giada De Laurentis
Makes one cup; serves four people
Ingredients
2 cups (packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup toasted pine nuts (sometimes I’m lazy and I don’t toast my pine nuts)
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender or food processor still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Next add the Parmesan cheese either to the pesto while the blender/ food processor is still running OR transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. The pesto can be made two days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Bon Appetit!
