This combination of flavours makes a delicious summertime salad. Nectarines, tomatoes and basil with feta and Greek yoghurt – what’s not to love?
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe nectarines
- 3 large ripe tomatoes
- Salt & black pepper
- Basil – a large handful
- 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 100g feta
- 200g full – fat greek yoghurt
- 50g chopped pistachios
- 1 tbsp zaatar
Step by step:
- Cut your nectarines and tomatoes into bitesize wedges. Place them in a bowl and scatter over some sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Tear in the basil, add 4 tbsp of olive oil and the vinegar, leave to steep for 30 minutes.
- Blitz half the feta with the yoghurt and a tablespoon of oil in a food processor until you have a smooth and silky dressing. Spoon this into a bowl, cover and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- Chop your pistachios into small pieces and stir in the zaatar.
- Assemble the nectarines, tomatoes and basil, spoon over the dressing. Finish by crumbling over the remaining feta and sprinkling over the pistachio and zaatar mixture.
Tips and variations:
- If your nectarines are under ripe, place them in a fruit bowl with some bananas for a day or so. If you want to use them straight away, pop the slices on a griddle pan and you will have nicely striped, soft, sweet fruit.
- Add toasted breadcrumbs instead of nuts if you prefer, garnish with some anchovies or add some gherkins or capers.
- Add some thinly sliced red onions and finely chopped garlic if you like a stronger flavour. If you want a really tangy flavour, substitute the feta for gorgonzola.
What is Zaatar? A spice used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. A combination of herbs, sesame seeds, sumac and salt, it is one of the worldās unique and best seasonings.
Choose a zaatar like the one shown above which contains sumac, cumin seeds, oregano and marjoram. Cheaper alternatives substitute these ingredients for citric acid.
HEAL 