Back in May, I did a double-take at a local branch of the state farmers’ market.

There. They. Were. Local tomatoes. In May, mid-May, mind you. Local tomatoes in time for Mother’s Day. I made fresh salsa to go with the green chile frittata we gobbled down for brunch that day, and I felt as if I had conjured up a bowl of rubies to sprinkle over the eggs.

North Carolina farmers have gotten sneaky, and brilliant. They’re growing tomatoes in dirt, as usual, but sticking them in greenhouses, where they get warm and tall waaaayyy earlier than the typical tomato season. Now, I had my doubts, but hell, these tomatoes taste good and they come from farms right around the corner. I’ve run into a mushy one or two, but overall, I’m convinced. Let the Cherokee Purples and German Johnsons come in the spring. I’ll just eat more of them.

Sunday dinner this week featured some of these puppies. Never mind that my own tomatoes are still hanging on their plants, a tangly backyard jungle of scratchy leaves and hard, green knobs. The wonderful people who made the food for our wedding introduced me pulled a similar trick. We got married last June - early June, mind you - and amid all the guests I was very happy to see local tomatoes, these greenhouse tricksters, accompanied by generous drizzles of olive oil, fresh chevre and cool circles of cucumber, a reinvented, earthier, more summery insalata caprese.

We sat on our front porch, the day falling around us, plates in our laps and margaritas at our feet, sopping up the pink juices with stray grains of orzo, toasted almonds, roasted red peppers and grilled lamb. Happy summer, and happy tomato time.

Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado and Chevre Salad inspired by Celebrity Dairy

As with other simple, spare recipes, it’s important here to use the best ingredients you can find. To me, this salad is highly addictive during the summer, when it’s too hot to think about my oven, as avocado green as it is..

Serves about four

1 to 2 fresh, local and ripe tomatoes, heirloom varieties if you can find them and if it suits you
1 avocado
1/2 cucumber
young, fresh chevre, crumbled and sliced to your taste. I’ll leave the amount up to you, but be generous to yourself.
good quality extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
sea salt
finely chopped fresh basil, to your taste

Slice all the vegetables. Arrange in layers on a plate, alternating tomato slices with cucumbers and avocado. Crumble chevre over the salad. Drizzle oil and basil over the salad, then season with salt and pepper.