tomato and nectarine salad

summer produce- get it while you still can!

the first time i saw this recipe at martha stewart, i had some trepidation. such a strange combination- but it works. she uses peaches, but our fruit stand didn't have any that looked decent so i went with nectarines, and it was just as good. very colorful and fresh and summery, with the leftovers doubling as a salsa if you add a chili to the mix. we had it with sauteed shrimp, but it would be super with grilled salmon too.

tomato and nectarine salad:

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 nectarine, diced small
• 1 ear of corn, shucked, kernels taken off the cob
• 1/4 english cucumber, diced small
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt/pepper
• few stalks of basil leaves, chopped
• pea shoots for garnish

preparation:

• cut the top off of 2 of the tomatoes. scoop out the guts carefully. toss the seeds, but dice up the flesh and add it to a large bowl. if the tomatoes are having trouble standing on their own, slice a tiny bit off the bottoms so they sit. sprinkle the insides with a little salt and pepper, and set aside. cut up the third tomato, discarding the seeds. dice the flesh and add it to the bowl.
• toss in the diced nectarine, corn, and cucumber. add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and a splash of olive oil. let it sit for a few minutes so the flavors combine.
• fill up the tomato shells with salad, and spread some around the plate. garnish with some pea shoots.

serves 2