The other day while I was sipping coffee, a message popped up from my Australian friend Sally1. She told me about an artist who she had found on Instagram, one who posts paintings of recipe ingredients- tomatoes on the vine, basil leaves, a box of pasta, garlic. She wondered, did I know this artist? Had I ever done anything like this before?
I had something else planned to do that day. I was going to purée the leftover cooked cannellini beans in the fridge with a punnet of shishito peppers and see what might happen. It could make a nice dip? With a swirl of red chili crisp on top? I wasn’t sure how it would go, but it’s what I had. And who knows, if it tasted good, I might turn it into a newsletter.
But I love fun distractions. I remember sitting on a tiny chair at a tiny table in my grade three classroom. A young, fun substitute teacher was standing in front of us, her long brown hair pooling around her shoulders. She told the class that everyone who had not completed their work from the day before had to stay in their seats and finish. Those who had already finished were invited over to the carpet for a group activity. I followed half the class over to the carpet. Of course I did. The next day, when our teacher returned she asked me why I hadn’t finished my work. I shrugged and bit my lip. It was just the beginning of a lifetime of me leaning into fun.
Needless to say I spent the day painting the ingredients from one of Sally’s recipes. Sally is a food writer and a photographer. It was hard to choose what to paint (Confit Fennel with Chardonnay and Honey Mustard, Sunshine Tart, Crunchy Halloumi Fingers with Hot Honey!) but I decided on a recipe featuring ingredients that are in season right now here in Nova Scotia - a Peach and Tomato salad. Sally posted the recipe in January, when those ingredients were ripe in Australia, when 2024 was just kicking off. In the post Sally shares her word for the New Year, curiosity. That word resonates with me, especially right now. September feels like the new year for me. It’s a time for new temperatures, new routines and a fresh new rhythm. And with this new rhythm, I’m curious about what I’m drawn to - making time for art.
So instead of puréeing cannellini beans, I set up a little studio in my kitchen and painted the ingredients in Sally’s recipe. When I was finished I sat down in the sun and ate the salad, swirling fat slices of tomatoes and peaches through the tangy dressing, scooping up as much burrata as I could. It was a September moment.
Thank you Sally for the prompt, it was the best distraction.
Sally Frawley’s Peach and Tomato Salad
2 tomatoes cut into large chunks. If you have access to them grab the interesting varieties that are well ripened, they have so much more flavour.
2 yellow peaches, ripe so they come away from the seed easily, cut into chunks of similar size to the tomato chunks
2 Tb extra virgin olive, one with good flavour
3 tsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt flakes
Good grind of black pepper
100 gm baby bocconcini drained
2 heaped Tb whole roasted hazelnuts (skinless) halved
20 small basil leaves
½ tsp ground sumac
Method:
In a medium sized shallow bowl large enough to hold everything combine the oil vinegar and salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Swirl bowl so the puddle of dressing coats the base of the bowl. Place the peach and tomato chunks in a single layer over the dressing puddle. Dot the hazelnuts here and there across the top along with the bocconcini pieces. Sprinkle over the basil leaves finishing with a sprinkle of the sumac across the top. Don’t stir the salad before serving rather present in that lovely layer. The salad will have macerated in a fashion while it floats on the dressing puddle.
Serve immediately, if needing to transport you could drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle over the sumac just as you serve.
Sally Frawley’s Peach and Tomato Salad and the rest of her wonderful recipes can be found over here on her website. Or sign up for Sally’s newsletter Food, Finds and Forays here on Substack.
A Peach and Tomato Still Life