One of the best parts of summer - tomatoes! All sizes. Big beefy heirlooms sliced like slabs of beef with nothing but salt and pepper. Ice cold cherry tomatoes that pop in your mouth. It's no surpise that we love this simplest salad of summer – tomatoes, fresh torn mozzarella, scattering of micro basil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of the best possible olive oil. We frequently make a meal of that, a hunk of shaggy hearth bread to sop of the goodness and a glass of wine - perfection!
Select your tomatoes carefully. They should be lusciuosly aromatic in the same way that good peaches smell deliciously peachy. Smell them by the stem. They should omit a sweet earthy aroma. If they have no fragrance, they will have no flavor.
Select your tomatoes carefully. They should be lusciuosly aromatic in the same way that good peaches smell deliciously peachy. Smell them by the stem. They should omit a sweet earthy aroma. If they have no fragrance, they will have no flavor.
SERVES 4 - 6
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 ounces fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
1/4 cup micro-basil or small basil leaves (fresh thyme is also lovely)
4 - 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky salt
Taste #5 Umami Pepper or freshly ground black pepper
METHODS
Toss the cut cherry tomatoes in a splash of olive oil and season very lightly with salt
Spread the tomato slices on a platter and shower with a little salt.
Arrange the torn mozzarella across the platter.
Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
Spoon the cherry tomatoes across the platter.
Give several good grinds of pepper.
Strew the herbs across and serve.
NOTE: Serve with some good shaggy pieces of hearth bread.
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