This is a fresh summer salad. it uses flavours that love being together in tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese. The crunch of the Parmesan breadcrumbs contrasts fantastically Basil and Parsley pesto works really well.
Serves 2/3
INGREDIENTS:
for the Tomato and Basil Parmesan Crust:
20 vine ripened tomato's
Handful of basil leaves
Couple of slices of thick crusty bread
Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Ground pepper
For the Buffalo Mozzarella salad:
Good Quality Buffalo Mozzarella x 2 large balls
Handful of Basil leaves
Handful of Parsley
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
SSa Salt
Ground Pepper
Parma Ham
Italian Salami
WHAT TO DO:
Remove the tomato's middle and chop the tomatoes into cubes and lay on the bottom of an oven proof dish, rip the basil leaves and scatter across the tomato's and salt and pepper.
Take the bread an put in a blender and blitz into breadcrumbs, leave a varied of different sizes of breadcrumbs as this adds texture ( do not blitz into fine breadcrumbs)
Scatter the bread crumbs over the tomatoes ( make sure every part of the dish is covered ) then take the Parmesan cheese and grate generously over the breadcrumbs (cover the whole dish) then drizzle some olive oil over the dish.
Place under a grill until browned
For the Buffalo Mozzarella salad:
In the blender put the basil and parsley and a good glug of olive oil. blitz the ingredients together, add some grated Parmesan and add seasoning to your taste.
Tear the mozzarella and place on a dish, drizzle the basil and parsley pesto on top. place the meats in between the cheese.
Serve together and add some crusty bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip
Recipie by Nigel Slater
Photos by Rach Grice
