All-Year-Round Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
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Although you can buy tomatoes in the grocery store year-round, they always pale in comparison to the juicy, summer-ripe ones bought at a farmers market. But it turns out, a drizzle of oil and a short burst in the oven can bring out irresistible sweetness and flavor to even the blandest fruit. Make this all-year-round tomato and mozzarella salad (from Rosie Reynolds’s The Shortcut Cook All in One) if you don’t believe us.
“A good tomato can transport me somewhere else,” she writes, “even if it’s only in my head. I always keep tomatoes on a windowsill, preferably in the sunshine or in a warmish spot in the kitchen because they keep ripening. A little bit of heat from the oven, a sprinkling of sugar and salt and some good-quality oil can also tease out special flavors so your salad always tastes fresh and intense.”
Excerpted with permission from The Shortcut Cook All in One by Rosie Reynolds published by Hardie Grant Books, February 2023.
Ingredients
1 loaf ciabatta bread, torn into bite-size pieces
6 tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 ounces mixed color vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ garlic clove, grated
2 balls mozzarella, drained and patted dry
Large handful of basil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F convection (or 375°F if you don’t have a convection setting).
2. Spread the ciabatta pieces and tomato halves out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven, gently stirring the ciabatta halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the halved cherry tomatoes into a bowl. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and a pinch of sugar and set aside in a warm place for a few minutes.
4. Remove the cherry tomatoes from the bowl and add to the tray of roasted halves so they get some of the residual heat. Add the vinegar to any juices in the bowl, along with the garlic, salt and pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir to combine, then pour over the tomatoes and ciabatta.
5. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and add to the baking sheet; scatter with basil. Serve the salad on the tray for ease or transfer it to a platter, with some extra oil drizzled over the top.
448 calories
27g fat
34g carbs
20g protein
8g sugars
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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.