Suzy's Summer Salad

In celebration of this brief glimpse of summer I thought I'd share one of my favourite starters. It's so simple and so unexpected and makes a very welcome change from mezze style dips (which even I tire of occasionally). Suzy is a very special friend whom we used to spend wonderful, not entirely sober weekends with in Edinburgh until she abandoned us for Sydney (the place!). Suzy's fridge was always full of fabulous deli delights, but she tends to be more of an 'assembler' than a cook so you can rest assured this is dead easy to make.

Ingredients

1 small melon (charentais is good for colour, but ogen or honeydew is fine)
1 large punnet cherry tomatoes, halved (or 5 really ripe tomatoes, deseeded and quartered)
1 small cucumber
4 tbsp white balsamic condiment
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
handful mint

Makes enough for at least 4 or 5 starter portions

If you have the patience make melon balls, otherwise just cut into  large dice. Pop these and the tomatoes into a large bowl (along with any juice from the melon). Use a potato peeler to make long strips of cucumber (exclude the first two or three strips which will be mainly skin)... or you can just cut into slices... the aesthetics are down to you. Anyway add the cucumber to the bowl too.

Then cut the mint into very fine ribbons (if you chop it instead it bruises very easily and black is not a good look for this dish). Add to the balsamic and 'season' with the amount of sugar that suits you. Best chilled before serving. Drink with plenty of Australian chardonnay.