Hot Summer, Soft Cheese, Ripe Fruit

All you need to survive the season of not wanting to cook anything

There are few things I enjoy eating more than any kind of soft cheese paired with a piece of perfectly ripe, in season fruit. Salty, sweet, creamy, tangy- it hits all the spots. The best thing is, there are a million variations of this combination and they all require very little, if any, cooking. Exactly what’s called for when the weather is too hot to think about turning anything on in the kitchen other than a fan.

There’s not too much to be said for ‘recipes’ here, but here are a few of my favourite combinations.

Plum, Tomato, Mozzarella and Jalapeno

Slice the tomatoes and plums into thin-dish pieces and lay them together on a platter. Slice or rip about half a mozzarella ball and scatter it over the fruit- I like to have nice thin slices and plenty of them. Slice the japapeno very finely, removing the seeds if you don’t want it to be too spicy and scatter that on too. Finish with a small handful of finely chopped herbs- a mix is nice, I use whatever is looking good in my herb garden, usually mint, basil, chives, and a little lemon thyme- a drizzle of wine or sherry vinegar (or a good squeeze of lemon juice), a healthy drizzle of good olive oil and some flakey salt. Great as a side or on its own for lunch with some good bread to sop up all the juices.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Cut up a watermelon into large bite-sized chunks. Gently break over a large chunk of feta. Scatter over fresh mint, parsley or tarragon, a squeeze of lemon and a good drizzle of olive oil. a handful of olives (I like to use Kalamata) is nice too, as is a handful of toasted pepitas or a good pinch of Aleppo pepper.

Fig and Ricotta Toast

Toast a slice of good bread, pile on fresh ricotta, chopped figs and drizzle with honey. Season with a good pinch of flakey salt.

Chèvre, Cherries and Fennel

Shave a fennel bulb as thin as you can, toss with a little good olive oil, salt and lemon juice and scatter on a plate. Halve and pit a good handful of cherries and arrange on top of the fennel followed by small pieces of good chèvre or your favorite soft goat cheese. Finish with a a small squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of fennel fronds or pollen.

Tomato Toast

Brush a piece of bread generously with olive oil and grill on both sides in a skillet until toasted. Remive from the pan and rub on one side with garlic. Smear fresh ricotta or other soft cheese such as chèvre or brie and then top with fresh tomato slices. Finish with plenty of cracked black pepper and fresh basil or oregano.