Happy Thursday! It's currently 88 F / 31 C and feels loads hotter. I think it's the high humidity but that sure makes it hard to go walking.
Tomato, cucumber and mozzarella salad is just perfect for a hot summer dinner. It's a quick and easy side dish, healthy ingredients and tasty too.
I've been enjoying reading through this Jacques Pepin cookbook lately, staying inside and avoiding the high temperatures. This recipe was one I'd bookmarked awhile back, no time like the present.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (regular or plum)
1 cucumber peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion (about 8 ounces total), peeled and chopped
½ pound mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
shredded basil
¼ cup chopped chives or parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
- Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze out seeds. Cut seeded tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place chopped onion in a sieve and wash under cold water to remove some of the sulfuric acid compound, which tends to make the onions discolor and is strong-smelling and irritating to the eyes. Drain thoroughly.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, stirring well. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed. An hour or so before serving, remove from the refrigerator so the salad is cool, not cold, when eaten. Serve with a crunchy French bread.
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Yum! I'll be making this in a few days.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a garden I’d have half the ingredients!
DeleteThis looks amazing! I'm gonna make it this weekend!
ReplyDeleteHeather, yea! It’s certainly refreshing if you are having hot weather.
DeleteThis looks perfect. Salads are the ideal meal for these hot summer days.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I agree!
DeleteI often make a salad similar to this (no onions though)... we love it!
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, this is such an adaptable recipe.
DeleteA perfect meal for warm weather. It's currently 77F here, though only 8:45am, expected high to be 82F. Not too bad, and the trade winds help.
ReplyDeleteClaudia, I wish we could get more winds as that may help with this intense heat. When I lived in south Florida the Atlantic breezes made it bearable.
DeleteI do this salad too but we use feta cheese.
ReplyDeleteJackie, feta works! I hadn't thought of it. That would give it a great tang.
DeleteThat's a real classic. I've been reading recently that recipe writers and experts are beginning to question why tomato seeds should be discarded, especially because the gel-like juice around them is good to eat. My latest recipe for gazpacho left them in, but strained the end result to remove the ones that didn't end up pulverized. I suspect that tomato varieties these days have less-objectionable flavor in the seeds. In any case it's a lot less work!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae, I hardly ever scrape the gela nd seeds out and the recipes turn out fine. I do like yoour idea of straining it at the end of cooking time.
DeleteI love the combination of mozzarella and tomatoes just about anywhere!
ReplyDeleteMelynda, thank you, the tomatoes and mozzaella would be great on their own in a sandwhich.
DeleteThis is such a classic combination...for a reason!
ReplyDeleteMarg, and refreshing!
DeleteYum! This is a favorite flavor combination for me and sounds perfect for the crazy humidity we've been having (it's not even the heat - I can deal with that!). I'd probably add a drizzle of balsamic glaze but I add a drizzle of that to just about everything!
ReplyDeleteKatherine, this humidity seems worse this year. I like that addition of balsamic vinegar, will try it next time.
DeleteIt's been hot as Hades lately and I'm over it! This is perfect for summer and I'm all about the addition of mozzarella cheese. I'm all for cheese anytime! Looks so pretty. Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteThis looks perfect--crisp and cool and who can say no to mozzarella. I'd eat it as a meal! Thanks for sharing it at Souper Sundays this week!
ReplyDeleteAs others have said -- this is the perfect summer salad!
ReplyDelete