Classic Tuscan Tomato Salad Recipe

Life in the Tuscan countryside is deeply connected to the earth and its seasons and at the Tuscan table, simplicity is key: when your ingredients are fresh and alive with real nourishment, you can make meals that are rich in flavor with no fuss at all. This classic salad is a case in point.

Here, ripe, luscious tomatoes paired with mozzarella and mouthwatering, fragrant basil make a salad that sings with pleasure, and typifies the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. And it‘s all so simple.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces fresh mozzarella (buffalo-milk is preferred but not absolutely essential)
4 stems opal basil (or plain basil, if opal is unavailable)
4 large fresh vine-ripened organic tomatoes
Zest and juice of 2 organic lemons
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby organic arugula

1. Tear apart the mozzarella into roughly 1-inch chunks. Set aside.

2. Gently tear the leaves from the stems of the basil and set them aside, discarding the stems.

3. Slice the tomatoes in half, then slice into 1/4-inch half-moons. Set aside.

4. Mix the mozzarella, basil, lemon zest and juice, and tomatoes together with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper and add more oil if you think it necessary.

5. Arrange the arugula on individual salad plates. Pile the salad on top and serve.

Serves 4 – 6.

Read more: Food, All recipes, Soups & Salads

Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004). Copyright (c) 2004 by Lawrence Davis-Hollander. Reprinted by permission of Storey Books.
Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Michele W.

5:21AM PDT on Oct 8, 2011

Thank you

send a green star

Jennifer C.

10:06PM PDT on Aug 28, 2011

That recipe sounds good. Thanks for posting.

KS G.

1:02AM PDT on May 15, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Lynn C.

2:21PM PDT on May 8, 2011

I bet this is as pretty to look, at as well as to eat.

Robert O.

3:56PM PDT on May 2, 2011

Thanks Annie!

Charuwan K.

11:30PM PST on Jan 9, 2011

I'll try sooner or later

Patricia B.

8:31PM PST on Jan 1, 2011

Buen articulo

8:30PM PST on Jan 1, 2011

Past Member .

10:57AM PST on Jan 16, 2010

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