Summer heirloom tomato salad with feta & basil

Every summer, I make my way down to the allotment to gather the ripest tomatoes, filling my basket with every colour and variety I can find. There is something truly special about cooking with produce we have grown ourselves; he tomatoes are sweeter, juicier, and somehow taste like summer itself. By the time I bring them home, your stepdad is usually outside getting the braai ready, and we begin preparing everything together for a relaxed summer evening.

I love making this salad with you. It’s such a simple recipe, but over the years it has become part of our summer tradition, the kind of dish that belongs alongside a sizzling braai, good conversation, and time spent together around the table. I hope this becomes one of those recipes you carry with you wherever life takes you.

One day, when you make this salad in your own home, I hope it brings back memories of those warm evenings with us: picking tomatoes from the allotment, cooking together in the kitchen, the smell of the braai drifting through the garden, and the laughter we shared along the way. And promise me one thing, always serve it with plenty of crusty bread, because the sweet, flavourful tomato juices left at the bottom of the bowl are far too delicious to leave behind.

Ingredients

• 500g mixed heirloom tomatoes (a combination of small and large varieties in red, yellow, orange, and black)
• One cucumber
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• 80g black or green olives, pitted
• 1–2 tbsp capers, drained
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instuction

1. Prepare the tomatoes. Leave the smallest tomatoes whole, then slice or cut the larger heirloom tomatoes into wedges and irregular pieces. Mixing different sizes and shapes gives the salad a wonderfully rustic look.
2. Build the salad. Add the tomatoes, sliced red onion, cucumber, olives, and capers to a large serving bowl.
3. Dress gently. Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, then season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Toss carefully so the tomatoes keep their shape.
4. Let the flavours develop. Leave the salad to rest at room temperature for around 10 minutes. This allows the tomatoes to release their juices and the dressing to mingle with all the ingredients.
5. Finish and serve. Scatter over the crumbled feta and fresh basil leaves just before serving. Pair with warm, crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the delicious tomato juices.

💬 If you try it, I’d love to hear how you made it your own.