A new recipe from Paolo Vasapolli, executive chef in Food Services, combines favourites from the local harvest—tomatoes, cucumbers and melons.

“Be sure to use tomatoes ripened on the vine,” Vasapolli says. “It makes all the difference to the flavour, and we’re lucky to be able to get them from farms right here in Windsor-Essex.”

His take on tomato-melon salad serves four.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• dried oregano, optional
• 1 bunch arugula

Directions

1. Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, melon and red onions in the oil, vinegar, and spices and let that sit for five minutes.
2. On a serving platter, lay out the greens.
3. Add the seasoned fruits and vegetables on top. Serve immediately.

Vasapolli notes that cooks can also add avocado and cut everything into cubes rather than wedges.

“Make a puzzle salad and finish it off with a drizzle of balsamic reduction,” he says.