Basic Tomato Mozzerella Salad

 

 

Tomato Mozzarella, Bonita (fish), Roasted Asparagus, Jersey Corn

When I cook for guests, I usually like to make a few really simple things while only dealing with one complicated dish (even less if it’s people I need to spend time with). This is one delicious simple dish!

The Magpie and I went down to the Jersey Shore this weekend to visit with Barb and Rob. Barb is a phenomenal cook and shared some of her recipes with me (though I haven’t yet asked her if they can appear on my blog!) One of her standard summer dishes is Tomato-Mozzerella Salad. We made it on two consecutive nights: for my Aunt Jane & Cousin Meg, as well as our friends from New York, Jenn & Andrew, Michelle, and Courtenay. 

     

   

Tomato Mozzerella Salad

Serves 6.

[Note: This recipe can serve as many people as you like. I would estimate about half a tomato per person of the big Jersey beefsteaks.]

 

The only real secret to this recipe, like so many simple recipes, is good quality ingredients.

3 big beautiful Jersey tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you like)

fresh mozzerella (usually from a deli) – we used one about the size of a fist

fresh basil leaves (8-12)

olive oil

salt and pepper

 

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4″ slices discarding the very top and bottom, and cutting out any tough cores that you find. Slice the mozzerella to 1/4″ or a little thinner. Arrange on a pretty platter alternating the slices.

 

Take all the basil leaves together and stack them into a pile, roll into a little tube (to make them long, not short). Slice them into thin slices [this is called chiffonade I believe]. Hold the sliced basil about a foot or two over the plate and let fall into a pretty presentation.

Drizzle olive oil in a gentle spiral and salt and pepper the beauties. I think this is better served at room temperature, but refrigerate it if you aren’t eating right away.

Final note: This is a great recipe to assign to a guest who wants to help in the kitchen!

Laurie’s Incredible Salads

We are dog-sitting for our friends Laurie and Paul. Little Rusty is with us this week.

      

 

I’ve now had two different salads that my friend Laurie makes, and I am smitten. She uses two types of Boston lettuce (red and green), fruit, nuts, cheese and protein. She admitted to me she only likes salad with lots of things in it, and that she secretly believes that you can throw in anything to a salad and it will still be healthy.

Salad one that she made was a side salad, and had sliced almonds, raspberries and goat cheese.
Salad two was a main course for a lunch she made me, and had sliced almonds, craisins, dried apricots, sliced turkey, and Stilton cheese with apricots. Both were amazing and served with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

I’m planning to experiment with her fruit-nut-cheese combo and try some new salads myself!