Tomato and Cantaloupe Salad

Ingredients:

• About 2 pounds of tomatoes different shapes and colors

• 1 small cantaloupe cubed or scooped with melon baller

• 1 chopped, peeled cucumber

• ½ red onion thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

• ½ to 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 TBSP good quality extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 TBSP cup white balsamic or apple cider vinegar

• Fresh lime juice

Instructions

Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks.

This will give you the beginnings of a salad that's exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.

Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, and then discard any juice that has come out of them.

Whisk oil, vinegar, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl, or add the ingredients to a mason jar and shake to combine.

Combine basil, cantaloupe, tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss well.

Note:

As a variation, this salad is great topped with goat/feta cheese.

Or, leave the cantaloupe out, substitute 1 tsp oregano for the basil, and add one garlic clove (1tsp, of chopped garlic in a jar) and a finely chopped fresh jalapeno. Great by itself or add fresh mozzarella or goat/feta cheese.