Something simple and good

We like to go to the Sunday morning farmers' market in Pacific Palisades, even though it's not as big or as fancy as the celebrated Santa Monica and Hollywood markets where the noted restaurateurs shop. This one is quirky, small, and simple - but we can still get great, flavorful fresh produce.

My SIL gave me this Ukrainian platter

Ripe, heirloom tomatoes are perfect this time of year, and so are yellow peaches. Here's a great, quick salad I made for our Sunday dinner.

Peach, green "Zebra" tomatoes, and cotija cheese salad. A basic vinaigrette of wine vinegar, grainy mustard, and just a teaspoon of honey for sweetness.

This was easy - a bed of lettuce with chunks of fruit. I chopped some fresh basil to toss with it, too. Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese with a texture similar to feta or to ricotta salata. It's not as strongly flavored as feta, though, with a nice, mild tang. All I had in the fridge was romaine lettuce, but if I'd gone shopping I'd have used baby greens or even arugula.

The sweetness of the peaches works well with the acid of the tomatoes. Try different combinations of fruit. You can change up the color, too - yellow tomatoes might work well with white peaches! Or maybe red pluots with green tomatoes, red tomatoes with greengage plums! A cool salad is great on a hot summer evening.