Heirloom Tomatoes & Goat Cheese Salad

Last week I went to the doctor. I have a fair amount of moles, freckles and birth marks all over my body and I wanted someone to check everything was ok. I was concerned for a mole in my back in particular, which is quite big.

The doctor inspected my skin centimetre by centimetre while I was feeling a bit uncomfortable for such an exhibition in front of a perfect stranger.

The mole on my back was fine. Not so much another one in my leg. Apparently one of the moles looked suspicious. And he asked me to come back and get it removed, so they can do a biopsy.

And I know it will probably be nothing, since the mole has been in my leg for years with no changes. And I know it will be maybe half an hour or so. And that it won´t hurt that badly. And it will all end up with a small scar in my knee. And that loads of people go through this every day. And that I´m lucky.

I know all of that.

But I just don´t want it to happen. I don´t want to go on my own. I don´t want to smell how hospitals smell. I don´t want to wear the hospital gown. I don´t want the anxiety, the uncertainty, the waiting. I don´t want a piece of my body to be removed, however small it might be.

And then I think in all this people who suffers from worse health conditions and I can´t help feeling miserable and selfish.

So this week´s recipe is nothing too fancy or complicated. Just a fresh, colourful and tasty salad I fancied to eat. Bright and colourful food always cheers me up!

WHAT YOU NEED

1kg Heirloom Tomatoes - at room temperature
100gr Goat Cheese
50gr Pine Nuts
2tsp Balsamic vinegar
4tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100gr Fresh Basil Leaves
Maldon Sea Salt

WHAT YOU DO

An heirloom or heritage tomato  is an open-pollinated heirloom cultivar of tomato. It is considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of its valued characteristics. Or in other words, a heirloom tomato is a tomato that tastes like real tomatoes do. Additionally, they're amazingly beautiful. They can be almost any colour imaginable (including white and black) and many varieties have wild shapes, colour combinations and markings. All of those sliced up together make a work of art on the plate.

To make the most of heirloom tomatoes, keep them at room temperature before eating. Wash them gently under cold running water. Slice them with a sharp knife and put them in a big plate or salad dish creating an harmonious layout.

Add some slices of goats cheese, preferable a fresh and traditionally made goats cheese. We have used a local farmer’s market goat cheese this time.

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and Modena vinegar. Sprinkle some Maldon salt and garnish with fresh basil leaves and pine nuts.

A good glass of red wine will go perfect with this salad.