Tomato, Peach, Chèvre, and Herb Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Author Notes

This glorious salad is summer on a plate. The tomatoes and peaches pair beautifully and are elevated by the herbs, shallots, cheese and vinaigrette.

Use the best tomatoes you can find, and do not refrigerate them before using. Please—you will kill all their flavor and mar their texture. Use a young chèvre if you can, but really, any good goat cheese will do. If you're growing herbs in your garden, use those. They will taste more delicious than anything you buy. And use a ripe peach but not one that is remotely mushy.

*Take the goat cheese out of the fridge about a half hour before you make this salad.
Serve this at room temperature. —em-i-lis

Test Kitchen Notes

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YES! I absolutely love the combination of peaches and tomatoes. I used gorgeous heirlooms and they really shined in this dish. It came together super-fast, was stunning, and was better than any Caprese. I would make this time and again in the height of tomato season. I would have liked to have had a bit more instruction on the cutting the tomatoes and herbs—the best way to cut the tomatoes to make the salad easiest to eat and still pretty. I cut them into eighths so they were still thin but not just slices.

I did not get the Apple Basalmic Vinegar (though I am sure it is delicious), but I used Champagne Vinegar instead, and it was really nice. I don't think you need to go to Williams-Sonoma to get the special vinegar to make this salad shine. It does just fine on its own! —figgypudding