Olive + Thyme’s Stone Fruit and Tomato Salad

Photography by Heidi Ryder

My dear friend Melina Davies’ cookbook, Olive & Thyme: Everyday Meals Made Extraordinary, has been one of my favorites for a while. I love so many recipes in it, but my go-to recipe for summer is the Stone Fruit and Tomato salad! If you want a recipe to impress your guests at a gathering, this salad is for you! It checks all my boxes: delicious, beautiful, and EASY!

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup pine nuts

·      6 medium peaches

·      4 medium nectarines

·      4 pluots

·      4 apricots

·      4 plums

·      12 heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half

·      ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more

·      Sea salt

·      ½ cup chopped basil

·      1 cup Whipped Ricotta with Basil (recipe follows)

·      A few baby basil leaves

Instructions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 300 º .

2.     Roast pine nuts on a medium baking sheet until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, then set aside to cool.

3.     Cut all stone fruit in wedges and place in a large salad bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt and basil, and toss together.

4.     Top with Whipped Ricotta, then garnish with roasted pine nuts, basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt.

Whipped Ricotta with Basil

Ingredients:

·      1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

·      ¼ cup fresh basil

·      Sea salt + pepper

·      1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1.     Combine ricotta, basil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Slowly incorporate the olive oil, mixing for 1 to 2 minutes on low speed. Chill and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!