Tomato/Tomatoe: Strawberry, Tomato & Feta Salad!

What's not to love about tomatoes? These juicy gems come in about as many incarnations as your favorite designer shoes: heirloom, cherry, grape, beefsteak - there's definitely one out there to suit your personal taste. This week, I'll be posting two recipes that highlight tomatoes and today's, my fabulous foodie friends, features the cherry tomato. 

The cherry tomato is a smaller garden variety tomato. These tomatoes can range in size from the tip of your thumb to the size of a golf ball, and can range in shape from being spherical to slightly oblong. The more oblong ones share characteristics with plum tomatoes (also known as grape tomatoes). For you Latin or passionate tomato fans out there, the cherry tomato is regarded as a botanical variety of the cultivated berry, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme.

This Strawberry, Tomato and Feta Salad is easy to prepare and perfect for a Spring or Summer lunch with the ladies or for having on hand as a healthy lunch or snack during the week. As an added bonus, it is healthy AND vegetarian - I know, not something you usually find here at GG!

The sweetness of the strawberries is nicely balanced by the acidity of the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar brings both flavors together quite beautifully. While you can use other cheeses such a blue in this dish, I think the feta adds the perfect salty tang without overwhelming the other flavors. I would advise using your basic, unaged balsamic vinegar for this recipe; the sweeter, aged balsamic turns this dish into a dessert - which is fine if you are, in fact, looking for a dessert! Also, if there was ever an ideal situation to break out your best extra virgin olive oil, this is it - the fruitiness and texture of the oil really adds to the dish. I used a Tuscan oil that I really adore: the 2010 Perazzeta Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It has a beautiful green color and delightful fruity, spicy flavor that is perfect for everything from dipping your favorite focaccia to dressing Insalata Caprese.

I hope you enjoy this yummy Summer salad featuring cherry tomatoes, I'd love to hear what you think! Stay tuned for the next recipe of the week featuring fabulous heirloom tomatoes.

Cheers,

Summer Strawberry, Tomato & Feta Salad

1 lb. Strawberries

2 pints Cherry Tomatoes

6 ounces Feta Cheese
Mesclun Greens

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar 
Salt & Pepper

Trim and slice the strawberries and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Combine the strawberries and tomatoes with cubed feta cheese in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste and toss lightly to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve atop mesclun greens for a nice presentation! Serves 4