Summer green salad with cherries, jamón Serrano and goat's cheese
Refreshing and bursting with flavors
Published originally on my blog on 15 July 2012
As I'm writing these words, it is raining outside. Not a torrential rainfall but the kind of drizzle that reminds you of the first days of autumn rather than summer. So before I get even more confused and start taking my winter clothes back out of storage, I better start talking about summer fruits. Because they are the only thing right now that can convince me we're indeed in the middle of July.
These past few days, I have been eating fruits like a maniac. I'm compensating for the lack of sunshine and I'm devouring them like there's no tomorrow.
You know how when you buy fruit you can never be certain they're going to taste good? It's like when you first meet a guy. You can never be sure about him until that first kiss. He may look good, he may smell good, he may even feel good, but you can never know until you have gotten a taste of his lips or, in the case of fruit, a bite of their juicy flesh.
This week, I bought the most luscious and delicious wild peaches, nectarines and cherries. I'm sure it was a coincidence. I'm sure that if I go back to the same stall at the market next Saturday, the fruits I buy will be flops.
The quest for the perfect fruit is eternal, so as long as I have some good specimens, I better get the most out of them, right?
I told you about this salad a while back and I have been enjoying it a great deal lately.
It's a stunning salad with a wonderful combination of flavors, colors and textures. Everything you're looking for in a summery salad, really. Sweet and crunchy cherries, salty jamón Serrano, crispy radishes, peppery rocket, creamy goat's cheese and a pungent Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
If you're living in any part of the world that's experiencing a heat wave right now, like my beloved home country of Greece is, then you'll appreciate the refreshing qualities of this salad. I, on the other hand, while I'm enjoying it, I'm daydreaming of sunnier days that I hope will very soon come.
Summer Green Salad with Cherries, Jamón Serrano and Goat's Cheese
You can use any type of cured ham you like in this salad. I particularly like Serrano ham because of its deep and intense yet smooth flavor and its nutty aroma.
Serve it with some crusty bread and a bottle of good, dry white wine or a dry fino sherry.