Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That's all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for less than $20, and you've got a feast for family or friends.
In the summertime, it’s nice to have a repertoire of meals that forgo actual cooking. The hotter it is, the less appealing that elaborately prepared or composed dishes seem. I spend hardly any time in front of the stove (and definitely not the oven) in August, instead opting for the air fryer or the grill if I actually want a cooked dish.
During the extreme heat and humidity of this summer, I’ve subsisted almost entirely on veggies (I may have consumed my body weight in raw carrots), grilled chicken, assorted dips and spreads, and every imaginable variety of fruit. While playing around with various combos, I’ve found that the inherent sweetness of practically any fruit—from figs and plums to dates and peaches—can be enhanced by cheeses of practically any sort, herbs, nuts and simple vinaigrettes.
Although the term “fruit salad” may evoke more saccharine dishes for some of you, this recipe leans into the savory elements, making it unbeatable as a side or starter for a meal. Here, cherries are paired with nectarines (or other stone fruit of your choice), Marcona almonds, mint and a simple Dijon mustard vinaigrette, then topped with a shower of grated ricotta salata. To turn it into a full lunch or dinner, just add some grilled protein.
I’m a sucker for a salad (or, frankly, any dish) topped and covered completely by grated cheese. That’s what you want to aim for here. All of the fresh fruit, piquant dressing, bright mint and crunchy, buttery nuts get covered so that each element provides a fun “oh!” discovery for the diner while eating.
There’s no spice in the dish itself, so if you’re looking to liven up the experience, try an aromatic white wine with a lightly spicy profile, or even notes of bitter herbs or citrus pith. A dry or off-dry Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc can match the peach or apricot elements in the salad, while contributing more complex, subtle flavor profiles to this dish, like ginger, green herbs, fruit-tree blossoms, toasted nuts and a salty minerality.
Cherry and Stone Fruit Salad with Ricotta Salata, Marcona Almonds and Mint
This pairs beautifully with an aromatic, fruit-forward, tangy white wine from Alsace like the silky Sophie Schaal Riesling Alsace 2023 (89 points, $20), distinguished by spiced apple mixed with hints of toasted hazelnut and salty brioche, or the expressive Jean Biecher & Fils Alsace Marie 2023 (88, $16), a blend of Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris that balances ripe fruit with salty acidity.
If you want to splurge a bit on a more complex bottling, or can find it on sale, the Trimbach Gewürztraminer Alsace 2019 (91, $32) balances ripe fruit with a savory, bitter dimension, setting dried apricot and singed orange peel notes against green herbs and radish, backed by mineral-rich acidity. Citrus blossom, ginger and smoke notes come through on the finish.
Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Total time: 10 to 15 minutes
Approximate food costs: $20
Ingredients
- 15 to 18 cherries, halved, pits and stems removed
- 2 to 3 nectarines, peaches or plums, pitted and cubed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cumin
- A handful of Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch mint, roughly chopped
- 6 ounces ricotta salata, finely grated
Preparation
1. Mix the cherries and nectarines and refrigerate them until ready to serve. You want the salad to be cold, but not ice cold to the point that chewing the fruit hurts your teeth!
2. Whisk the mustard or honey with the vinegar of your choice until homogenous. Add olive oil in a slow stream, emulsifying the mixture, until a vinaigrette has formed. Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
3. When ready to serve, lightly toss the fruit with the vinaigrette. Add the nuts and mint and toss again.
4. Transfer to a serving platter and grate ricotta salata over the top. You want the salad to be almost totally covered with the grated cheese, like freshly fallen snow atop a shrub. Serve immediately. Serves 3–4.
Tips and Notes
• Keeping the skin on the stone fruits here helps maintain the shape of the fruit, especially once the pieces begin to soften after being tossed with the vinaigrette.
• You don’t need a cherry pitter. Simply slice one part of the cherry off, cutting as closely as possible to the pit, and then repeat on the other side(s). Discard the pit and bits of flesh connected to it.
• Don’t skimp on the salt in the dressing; you need a generous amount to coax some of the more savory notes out of the fruit.
• Marcona almonds can be pricey; if you don’t want to splurge on a container for a weeknight salad, you can use regular almonds or any nuts of your choice.
• Freeze your ricotta salata before grating, so it’s not as crumbly as refrigerated or room temperature ricotta salata. While a microplane is ideal for grating the cheese, a regular box grater is fine too.
• If you do have leftovers, try to enjoy them at your very next meal. The fruit may become too mushy in the dressing to enjoy a day later.
The latest recipes, food-and-wine pairings, cocktail features and more can now be delivered straight to your inbox with our personalized newsletters! Sign up now to receive the Sips and Tips email newsletter.
