A few weeks ago, my granddaughter, Edie, asked if I would help her plan a garden-party lunch to celebrate her 24th birthday. The meal would be served alfresco, so she asked if I’d help her with a summery tablescape as well as consult on the menu. It took only seconds for me to answer to count me in.
We began by going to Target and Michaels (a craft store, part of a large chain) to look for paper plates, tablecloths and napkins, plus candles and plastic cutlery. We spent over an hour choosing items in “garden” colors of sage green, rose, and sky blue. We then discussed her food choices. The young hostess wanted to begin with a salad, continue with a mixed grill of chicken, swordfish, and sausages. Baked Provencal vegetables as well as focaccia would round out the offerings, while a Berry Chantilly cake from Whole Foods would be her dessert choice. Her dad, an excellent cook and champion griller, offered to prepare the grilled foods and vegetable gratin. She would purchase the focaccia at a local bakery and pick up the birthday cake at Whole Foods. That left only the salad; this is where I came in.
Edie asked if I could create a light, colorful salad so I suggested one of oakleaf lettuce with peaches, cherry tomatoes, and melon, tossed in in a lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled with crumbled feta. The sweetness of the peaches and cherry tomatoes, the refreshing accent of the melon, and the salty accent of the cheese paired with crispy greens turned out to be a winning combination. Apparently, there were zero leftovers of this salad and all the other dishes!
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Salad of Summer Greens, Peaches, Melon, Cherry Tomatoes and Crumbled Feta
Lemon Vinaigrette
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salad
2 ripe but still slightly firm medium yellow peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3/4 cup diced melon such as watermelon or honeydew, seeded and cut into 3/4- inch
dice (See cooking tip.)
3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large) lengthwise
6 to 8 cups mixed greens such as red or green oak leaf lettuce, gem lettuce. or baby arugula, torn into large bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios, salted and roasted, optional
1. For the dressing, in a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, and mustard. Gradually whisk in the oil. (Dressing can be prepared a day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and whisk well before using.)
2. For the salad, place the sliced peaches, diced melon, and halved cherry tomatoes into a salad bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Let stand 10 minutes. Then add the lettuce greens to the salad bowl and toss well. Gradually add about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons more of the remaining vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly. (You will not need to add all the dressing; save any extra for another use.) Taste salad and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the feta over the salad and if using, the pistachios.
Serves 4 to 5
Cooking tip: Many grocery stores sell containers of watermelon chunks so that you don’t have to buy a large watermelon slice. You’ll simply need to remove any seeds and cut the chunks into 3/4-inch dice to equal 3/4 cup. If you use a honeydew melon, halve a whole melon lengthwise, scrape out seeds, and cut enough 3/4-inch dice to equal 3/4.
Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2026
