This year has been particularly bad for pesky wildlife. We’ve lucked out – red squirrels have only wiped out our peaches and half my tomatoes. Deer jumped an electric fence and ate an entire crop of lettuce at a farm down the road!! Fortunately, I’ve been able to source any produce I don’t or can’t grow myself from farms close by. My goal with summer cooking is to keep everything as fresh and quick as possible, especially while the northeast suffers through record heat. The green beans and basil in this recipe came from our garden; beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes came from Work Song Farm; and the sheep’s milk feta — I can’t rave enough about its mild flavor and creamy texture — came from Gilded Fern Farm.Â
Tomato and Green Bean Salad
1 qt green beans, trimmed, halved, and blanched
1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
6 oz sheep’s milk feta (or other fresh feta), cubed or crumbled
15-20 basil leaves, chiffonade
Mix all ingredients together. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.