The end of summer is upon us, and it’s bittersweet. Now that Labor Day Weekend has passed, many of us are resuming regular work or school hours, putting our beach supplies back in storage, and saying goodbye to cookouts and rooftop bars. But even if you do work normal hours all throughout the summer, there’s something about that post-Labor Day feeling (i.e. today, right this very second) that’s just kind of a bummer. But it doesn’t have to be.
I LOVE this time of year. It marks a transition from not liking how my violin strings sound 75% of the time (#gutstrings #humidity) to thinking they sound pretty okay 75% of the time. It means that soon, I can stop worrying about maintaining a pedicure and get my cute boots on until at least March or April. And soon, I can go apple picking and make ALL THE PIES!! But for now, it’s still technically summer for another month, and all of the perks that come with crisp, cool weather aren’t here yet. So how can one really make the most out of this weird, transitional SummerFall? Two words: fresh produce.
Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite, but the window in which you can get them is super narrow. They’re gone before you’ve even realized they’ve arrived, so I’ve been making the most of them for the last few weeks. It has been tomato EVERYTHING around here: heirloom tomatoes on toast, heirloom tomato salsa, heirloom tomato quiche, and the list goes on and on. Another summer favorite of mine is fresh figs, and fortunately, those are going to be sticking around for a bit longer into the fall. So I thought, what would happen if I put them together? (*curious monacle emoji*)
People, I did not realize how hard I was going to ‘ship tomatoes and figs. Seriously, they are the Emily Blunt and John Krasinski of food combinations, and this salad is “A Quiet Place.” And before you’re all like, “Sarah, you’re overselling your own recipes again,” here are my reasons.
This salad is low maintenance but looks high maintenance.
It takes 5 minutes to put together – literally.
It will look pretty no matter how you plate it, and in fact, it will look prettier the less you care about how you plate it.
It has the ease of a caprese salad without being one. (Not hating on my CapSal, but it is a little predictable…
Goat cheese.
Goat cheese is a good enough reason to do anything, and don’t tell me I’m wrong.
A quick and easy salad that highlights the gems late summer has to offer.
Ingredients
Scale
3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
8–10 black mission figs, sliced into thirds lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Arrange tomatoes flat on a large serving plate.
Top with figs, goat cheese, and basil.
Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt and pepper to taste. (I like to make sure all visible surfaces have gotten a little bit of both S&P.)
Notes
Buy a variety of heirloom tomatoes for a salad that’s bursting with color.
Don’t worry about the appearance of heirloom tomatoes – cracks and deformities don’t mean a thing! In fact, some farmer’s markets will even discount the ugliest ones.
