Just like ingredients, cooking itself has seasons. Fall brings pie and other bakes. Things with apples and pumpkin, made in short oven stints. In winter, we cook nearly everything for a long time. A 40 minute vegetable roast. An all-day slow cook in the oven or on the stove. Spring cooking is as mercurial as the changing weather – one day salad, the next, soup.
In the summer, we try not to cook at all. Outside of the necessity of canning or pies, the stove is best left untouched this time of year. If we must, a quick blanch or boil can go a long way without heating up the whole house.
Here, dinner is as simple as a sliced tomato salad with shaved Pecorino and some toast. There are other elements that make it all interesting and delicious – fresh lemon, sherry vinegar, jarred Calabrian chilies (I use this kind), and good olive oil. The Pecorino itself is nutty and assertive, sitting nicely with the tomato's acidity and the heat of the chilies.
Add a protein on the side for dinner, or serve the salad as a side salad or appetizer.
Spicy Tomato and Pecorino Salad
This is a super simple summer salad that comes together in minutes. Each element – the lemon, sherry vinegar, Calabrian chilies, and Pecorino – help build the flavor. You'll want to use the absolute best tomatoes you can find here; out of season or mealy ones will be disappointing.
I really love the savory edge of sherry vinegar in the summer, but if you don't have it, red wine vinegar will do.
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