TOMATO SEARED PEACH & TAHINI SALAD

This is summer on a plate, and in the spirit of summer and easy cooking, for the next few posts I’ll be sharing summer salad recipes.

Now we just need some sunshine!

I’m obsessed with eating tomatoes at this time of year, sun or no sun and I love this combination. Peach and tomato might be unexpected but it works! Serve this as part of a larger spread, as a starter, or light lunch with some added butter or borlotti beans and some bread to mop. 

Or try my suggested menu:, serve with:   Green beans and roast fennel,  Herby butterbeans, Roast heritage carrots Fresh bread. 

A couple of notes on this recipe: You can also grill the peach on the BBQ if you’re firing up the BBQ, brush the peaches with oil to stop them sticking. You may have more dressing and tahini than you need but they will both keep well in the fridge for a few days and are great to dress salads, dip and dollop. If you’re short on time you can simplify the dressing by omitting the garlic and chilli, but I recommend including it if you can.

TOMATO, SEARED PEACH & TAHINI SALAD 

Serves 4 as a starter or side.  

For the Salad

  500g mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges

  1/2 red onion, finely sliced

  Juice of 1/2 lime

  Pinch of salt

  40g pumpkin seeds

  Olive oil to cook - about 1 tbsp. 

  2 peaches (approx 250g), cut into eighths

  25g Thai basil, picked

 Dressing

  40g lime juice (juice of 1 juicy lime)

  50g olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, peeled 

  1 green bird's eye chilli

  1 tsp salt

Whipped tahini 

150g tahini

20g olive oil

125g water

30g lemon juice

10g ginger 

1 clove garlic 

1/2 tsp salt

To make the dressing, place a small fry pan on medium-high heat, and char the garlic and chilli for about 5 minutes until the outsides are blackened and the garlic is slightly soft.

Measure the lime juice, olive oil, and salt into a small blender. Add the charred garlic and chilli. Blend all ingredients for about 30 seconds until smooth. Decant and set aside. Rinse the blender to use again for your tahini. 

For the whipped tahini.  Measure all the ingredients into the rinsed blender. Blend for about 1 minute to achieve a light and fluffy texture. Set aside.

Prepare the rest of your salad.  Finely slice the red onion and place it in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze over the juice of 1/2 lime and add a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.

Heat a large fry pan on medium heat and toast the pumpkin seeds for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until they pop and colour. Transfer to a separate dish to cool.

 Keep the pan on medium-high heat, add a drizzle of oil, enough to stop the peaches sticking, cook the peach segments for a couple of minutes on each side until they take on colour. Transfer to your mixing bowl with the pickled onions. 

To assemble the salad, add the tomato wedges to the mixing bowl with the onions and peach, and picked basil. Gently mix with ½  of your dressing,  taste for seasoning.

To plate, cover the base of your serving dish or individual plates with tahini dressing (about 1 heaped tablespoon per serving). top with the tomato salad, finish with an extra drizzle of dressing and toasted pumpkin seeds.