^[1]This is one of my favorite summer dishes, and though it barely qualifies as a recipe, it’s impressive enough to be greeted with delight every time. Basically all you need is 8 to 10 ounces of good vegan cheese (my favorite for this recipe is Vegan Gourmet mozzarella—a brand that’s a fixture in natural foods stores), a few medium-sized lush, ripe tomatoes, a handful of basil leaves, and some good, fruity olive oil.

Slice the cheese so that it’s about 2-inches square by about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick as well. Arrange them in overlapping rows on an attractive serving platter. Sprinkle with sliced basil leaves, then drizzle lightly with olive oil. If you’d like, finish with a grinding of black pepper, though this is optional.

This is a dish to make just before you serve it. You don’t want to refrigerate it, as the tomatoes will get mushy and the basil will turn brown.

• Explore lots more summer tomato recipes. ^[2]