Savory Watermelon Salad

This is summery and scrumptious. With minimal pre-amble and vague proportions:

~2 cups watermelon, cubed
1/2 English cucumber, chunked
2 decent heirloom tomatoes, chunked
1 x-lg or 2 med avocados, chunked

dressing:
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 tbsp chives, minced
~2 tbsp olive oil
~1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp fresh chevre (that's goat cheese)
salt & pepper to taste

This is pretty straightforward. My proportions are pretty inexact here, but it doesn't matter: follow your tongue! Use whatever herbs you have growing outside your front door or readily available, and just taste the dressing as you go. I thought about using a red wine vinegar but wasn't sure how that would jive with the chevre blended in ... will try it next time. The sweetness of the watermelon is really nice with the tang of the vinegar and goat cheese - num!

----

Here is the much more photogenic, less creamy inspiration for the above salad:


From the book, Pintxos, by Gerald Hirigoyen, which is full of delicious and beautiful Basque small-plates. More yum!

Panzanella Salad (fried bread salad)

This is a forgiving recipe, and easy to adjust or improvise. The most important part is the bread ... everything else is a variable. It's a quick dinner for one (or side for two), and a great way to get the most out of fresh seasonal ingredients (like tomatoes!). Using quality oil/vinegar makes a big difference.

The proportions here are for one person (me) if this is your whole dinner, or two people if there is another dish.

4 slices stale french bread, cubed
~10 cherry tomatoes (or 2-3 bigger tomatoes) cut into smallish pieces
1 4-oz. ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed-ish
~8 leaves fresh basil, sliced thin or minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
~2-3 tbs olive oil
~1 tbs good quality balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt (truffle salt if you are hooked like me)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (medium heat) and add the bread when hot. Toss to spread the oil and fry for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently. Keep a close eye on it to make sure the croutons don't burn. When crispy and golden, turn off the heat and set aside.

In a big bowl, mix the other ingredients. Add the bread just before serving and toss it all together.

There was a photo of this meal, but it no longer exists due to catastrophic camera difficulties. That's a story for another day...