To reach for the sun, one must first learn to look at the earth. This was the first thought that crossed my mind when I decided to make this summer salad.
I discovered a small producer offering cold-pressed, extra virgin sunflower oil with an intense flavor that tastes as if you were biting directly into the seeds, reminiscent of standing in a countryside sunflower field. Then I came across some sunflower sprouts—tiny, young herbs bursting with flavor. Thus, the entire concept began to take shape, revolving around the sun, much like the earth itself. I wanted to create something special using simple, everyday ingredients that are accessible and in season.
I settled on our humble summer salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, perhaps some cheese and olives. But what if I elevated it?
So, I chose four varieties of organic tomatoes: from the first two, large and colorful, I cut two slices and layered them to build a tower. On top of this, I added rings of sweet red onion, carefully arranging them around the edges of the tomato tower, leaving the center open. In that space, I placed a piece of local feta cheese, cut into a circle with a metal cutter. I surrounded the cheese with halved cherry and black cherry tomatoes—small and juicy, locally grown. Here and there, I tucked in some olives to complement the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions with their salty flavor.
I flanked the constructed tower with cucumber rolls and tender sunflower sprouts. The entire dish was finished with Maldon salt crystals, a pinch of freshly cracked pepper, a few drops of balsamic glaze, and the intense extra virgin sunflower oil—truly “a rare delight,” as a friend would say. I would have loved to top it off with some lightly toasted sunflower seeds, but pine nuts were more convenient at that late hour, because that's what I had on hand.
The idea was to demonstrate that creating something special doesn't always require unique, expensive, or rare ingredients. A familiar summer salad can also be extraordinary; it all depends on perspective.
As someone once said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
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