Cool, No-Cook Summertime Dinner: heirloom tomato salad with feta and fresh herbs, sliced avocados, and chilled cocktail shrimp

We’re having a heat wave down here in Naples—it’s been in the 90’s all week! 

When it gets like this, I like to make a cool, no-cook dinner that requires little effort:  an heirloom tomato salad with crumbled feta and herbs; avocados; chilled cocktail shrimp; and a crusty baguette with herb butter.

I find Amy Winehouse on Pandora, pour a glass of chilled Rose’, and get to it.  With little effort, I’m sitting out by the pool, watching the sunset, and relaxing with my little feast.  Just practicing for summer, my friends…it’s right around the corner :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

serves 2

Heirloom tomatoes, rinsed
Feta cheese, crumbled
2 Haas avocados
2 lemons
Extra Virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
fresh herbs:  I used chives and dill
1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
kosher salt/cracked pepper
1 crusty french baguette
1 chilled bottle of your favorite wine (I like rose' at this time of year)
1 pound colossal cocktail shrimp (kept in refrigerator until ready to use)
cocktail sauce
optional:  prepared horseradish, if you like your cocktail sauce extra spicy


If you're going to make herb butter for your bread, do it first and let it sit while you prepare everything else:  
Mix butter in bowl with 2 tsp fresh chopped dill, 1 tsp. fresh chopped chives, 1 pinch salt, the juice of 1/2 lemon.  

Now, prepare your salad:

Slice tomatoes and place on platter.  Crumble some feta cheese over the top.  Chop some of the dill and chives and sprinkle over the top.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and add salt and cracked pepper to taste.  If you want...and I do...you can break off additional chunks of the feta and eat them alongside your salad.  So good!

Take shrimp out of refrigerator and place on platter with cocktail sauce.  If you like your sauce extra spicy, mix 1/2 teaspoon of prepared horseradish into it

Peel and slice avocados.  Place on plate and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top (from the remaining 1 & 1/2 lemons). This will prevent them them from becoming too discolored so work quickly.  Drizzle with olive oil, and  sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper.

Slice or tear baguette and serve with herb butter.