Summer salad with cherry tomatoes, nectarines and “bocconcini”

It’s been a whirlwind of a summer. I feel like I just slipped on the season’s first pair of sandals, and it’s already mid-August. Before I know it, I’ll be pulling out my wool sweaters and wondering what happened to the warm weather and daylight. I’ve been busy meeting some big deadlines and finishing up an exciting new project that I’ll fill you in on a bit later. In the meantime, I’ve been living off of simple, quick summer salads like this one. I love the combination of fruit in a savory salad, with these small billowy mozzarella bocconcini that round out the flavor and complete the dish. I think pine nuts would be a good addition as well, but I haven’t tried it yet.

I’m off to the Ligurian seaside for a couple weeks to relax, recharge and take full advantage of the Texan BBQ pit that awaits me there. I’ll try to post some grilling recipes while I’m there! Happy summer!

Summer salad with cherry tomatoes, nectarines and “bocconcini”

• 1 lb (500g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 large, firm nectarines, chopped
• 1/2 sweet red onion, very finely sliced (optional)
• a handful of basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces
• 6 oz (150 g) of small, fresh mozzarella balls called “bocconcini” (if these are hard to find, you may use a normal-sized, fresh mozzarella ball, and cut it into bite-sized pieces)
• extra-virgin olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground pepper