Caprese Tower Salad (A Must for Summer Entertaining)

What a happy day it is when I'm talking about one of my most favorite foods on this earth.  Fresh buffalo milk mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) is one of the most glorious tastes and sensations you could ever hope to enjoy.  It is an ingredient that stands alone and is second to none. It cannot be substituted with a different product and be expected to achieve the same eye-closing results.  If all you have or feel like buying is cow's milk mozzarella, this salad will only satisfy slightly, and it will not be nearly as luscious.  Please trust me.  There is no comparison.  And if you are going to the trouble of preparing a salad like this, then there is absolutely no reason to skimp on any of the ingredients.  This one takes some of your time to prepare (maybe 30-45 minutes), but the end results will be glorious.  It calls for using six hollowed-out tomato paste cans.  (I've found this is a spectacular way to prepare salads, as the presentation on the plate is gorgeous.  Save the molds for future salads and you can come up with endless ideas of layering different ingredients together.)  The combination of flavors here are the perfect mix of delicate and bold.  If you want something beautiful, delicious and memorable, then please, go get the finest ingredients, roll up your sleeves and have a go at this slightly new twist on an Italian classic.

Note:  You might be wondering what to do with the tomato paste that has to be emptied out of the cans.  If you're not planning on using it right away, simply freeze the tomato paste in individual zip-lock bags. 

Caprese Tower Salad with Tomatoes, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Asparagus,  Buffalo Milk Mozzarella and Spinach-Basil Pesto


Serves 6

Ingredients:

Tomatoes -

3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into ½” dice or 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl toss tomatoes with the extra virgin olive oil and a little salt.

Zucchini -

2 small to medium green zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices

2 small to medium yellow zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat grill to medium-high (alternately, use a grill pan and heat on stove-top).  Brush zucchini with a little olive oil and grill on each side for about 2 minutes.  Remove from grill and sprinkle with some of the grated parmesan.  Cut into bite size pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Asparagus -

1 bunch of asparagus, wood stalks removed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle asparagus with some olive oil and place on hot grill or hot grill pan.  Grill about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from grill and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a touch of lemon juice.  Lightly season with salt & pepper.  Cut into ½” pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Cheese:

2 8-oz. balls fresh buffalo milk mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala), drained well and cut into ½” dice

Spinach-Basil Pesto -

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup fresh basil

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼  cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place first 4 ingredients in bowl of food processor and process until coarsely chopped.  Slowly add olive oil through feed tube until fully combined.  Transfer to medium bowl and stir in cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly:

Clean out 6 small tomato paste cans and remove both top and bottom ends.  Place tomato paste cans on a clean baking sheet.  Make salads by placing 1 Tbsp. of the tomatoes in the bottom of a hollowed-out can, then place 1 Tbsp. of the zucchini, then 1 Tbsp. of the asparagus, 1 Tbsp of the mozzarella and 2 teaspoons of the pesto.  Gently press down on the layers with the back of a teaspoon so that everything slightly compresses.  Repeat layering one more time and then repeat with remaining molds.  (If making more than an hour in advance, put salads in the refrigerator.)  Before serving, slide a wide spatula underneath salad and place on serving plate.  Carefully unmold salad by pressing down on salad with fingers and lifting mold with other hand.  Decorate top of salad with a little bit more of chopped tomatoes and a fresh basil sprig.  (Feel free to be creative here.  Decorate with what you like.  Maybe some field greens, or a little curly frisee, even a bit of watercress.)  Drizzle around salad with a bit more of the pesto and carefully transfer plates to the table.

Baby Spinach Salad with Oranges, Honey Roasted Almonds & Champagne Vinaigrette

This salad is perfect along side any pasta dish, because it's light and takes only a few minutes and ingredients to prepare.  In fact, if you have all the ingredients made earlier and kept separate, you can toss it together at the last minute for zero fuss.  This was first made for me over ten years ago by my dear friend Janet Coletti's mother, Vivien.  I had been at their house helping decorate for Christmas when Mrs. Coletti decided it was time for dinner.  Little did I know, she was preparing fresh lobsters for us and this absolutely delicious salad.  At the time, she made it with tangerines, which go so well with the holidays, but I now make it year-round and use oranges.  Occasionally I also add crumbled goat cheese.  It really depends on my mood.  It's perfectly perfect without it, but sometimes a little goat cheese is what I'm looking for.  Either way,  it's special any time. 

Baby Spinach Salad with Oranges, Almonds and a Champagne Vinaigrette
Serves 4

10 oz baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and segments cut out and juice reserved
3/4 cup honey roasted almond, recipe to follow
5 oz goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Champagne Vinaigrette, recipe to follow

In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach, oranges, almonds.  Add several tablespoons of dressing and toss again.  Crumble goat cheese over and serve with any remaining dressing on the side.


Honey Roasted Almonds

1 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a baking sheet, spread the almonds.  Drizzle with the melted butter, honey and sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they're a deep golden color.  Let cool.  Break up in small pieces for salad.

Champagne Vinaigrette (This recipe makes more than what you will need for the salad, but it's perfect to have some on hand in your fridge, ready to go)

1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice, from reserved segmented oranges
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, orange juice, mustard and honey.  Slowly add the olive oil in a stream until completely emulsified.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baby Spinach, Asiago & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Roasted Walnuts

This salad has so much fun stuff in it, it's hard to actually write out its title.  But take a look at what we've got here.  Three kinds of mixed greens and Brussels sprouts and avocado and honey roasted walnuts and two kinds of Italian cheeses!  Salads can become boring fast unless we change things up often.  For me, a great salad is about different textures and never using a heavy hand on any of the ingredients.  I like being able to taste each item and that usually means using a very simple dressing.  My standard is fresh lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil.  Here, I added a little mustard for a bit more of a pop.  If you make this, I think you'll be happy with the finished dish.  There's a little bit of everything here, but not too much of it.  Toss away!


Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Avocado, Walnuts & Asiago

8 oz. Brussels sprouts

1 c. walnuts
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

3 Tbsp. honey
Kosher salt

2 ripe avocados

2 oz. asiago cheese, grated

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

8 oz. Baby Spinach

8 oz. Arugula

2 heads Belgian Endive, sliced


Dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook Brussels sprouts for 9 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Cut Brussels sprouts in quarters and set aside.

Place walnuts in a single layer on cookie sheet.  Toss with butter, honey and kosher salt.  Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Coarsely chop nuts.

Cut avocados in half, remove pits and scoop out flesh.  Cut in 2” dice.  Cut Belgian endive in half and cut in thin slices. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

In a large salad bowl, toss the baby spinach and arugula with the quartered Brussels sprouts, roasted walnuts, avocado and endive.  Drizzle with 3-4 Tbsp of the dressing, the asiago & parmesan cheeses and toss again.  Plate salad and serve with any extra dressing on the side.

Fennel and Orange Salad (Sicily At Its Finest)

This is a refreshing salad that would almost be better served after your main course.  It has a way of lightening up the entire meal.  A Sicilian classic.  Pairing the sweet navel oranges with the licorice flavor of the fresh fennel and then a drizzle of the finest olive oil transports you right over to the Mediterranean and all of a sudden, you're on vacation.  (I go on a lot of vacations, just by closing my eyes.)

This is also as easy as it gets.  I hope you'll be enjoying it soon.


Salad with Fresh Fennel, Oranges & Scallions
Insalata di Arance

Serves 4


4 oranges, peeled and segments cut out
2 fennel bulbs, end trimmed, cut into 1 1/2" slices
1 scallion or green onion, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Let it rest for half an hour.  Divide among plates and serve.  Afterward, go dip your toes in the water.