As the mercury rises, so does our yearning for cool food and drink. We asked readers to send us favoured recipes to beat the heat. This is what GA reader Nandita Iyer from Mumbai sent us: A salad guaranteed to cool things down a little.

Tomato Salad with Pine Nuts and Cheese

Category: Salads
Time taken: Under 10 minutes
Serves: Two

Ingredients

Four medium tomatoes, diced
Two triangles of cheese, roughly pinched off (I used 'Laughing Cow' cheese, but feta would be nice too)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt to taste (If using feta cheese, go easy on the salt)
Two tablespoon pine nuts, lightly roasted
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a serving bowl, except the nuts. Chill for an hour or so, then garnish with toasted nuts just before serving.

Serving suggestion

Spoon the salad between two slices of bread for a light, cold sandwich.

Our expert says

Fitness consultant and nutritionist Samreedhi Sharma says this is a good enough recipe for summer. The cheese in the salad is a good source of calcium. However, those on a calorie watch can cut down on the amount of cheese, say one cube, and grate it over the salad for taste. The same goes for the nuts. Instead of two tablespoons, reduce the amount by half and just sprinkle over the salad. You can skip the olive oil. This is a good salad that can be eaten once in two weeks.

Got a favourite food or quencher for the summer? Share them with us, along with original photographs, and we'll feature them on our site. Write to us at yoursummerrecipes@rediffmail.com