Recipe: Summer fruit and goat’s cheese salad

This light and flavourful seasonal dish can be served with a barbecue, main meal or eaten alone as a starter

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250g fresh strawberries, quartered or halved (or left whole if they are very small)
100g fresh raspberries
2 ripe nectarines, sliced
4 handfuls of mixed baby salad leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or basil leaves
4 tbsp St Tola soft goat cheese
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

For the citrus dressing:

3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp honey, warmed to help it combine
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• To make the dressing, pour the orange and lemon juice and the warm honey in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine, then add the oil and seasoning and shake again to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  
• Put the strawberries, raspberries and nectarines in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss gently to coat.
  
• Put the salad leaves and fresh herbs in a separate bowl with another 2 tablespoons of dressing and toss to coat.
  
• To serve, divide the dressed salad leaves between four plates, then scatter over the fruit, goat’s cheese and almonds.
  
• Serve the remaining dressing on the side for anyone who would like to add a little more.
  

This recipe is by Siobhán Ní Ghairbhith and first appeared in the print edition of Irish Country Magazine as an excerpt from The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home cookbook.