Simple Summer Italian Salad #recipe by @LeslieKarst

  

I was asked to bring a salad to a dinner party recently where pasta would be the main course, and given all the gorgeous tomatoes that are now arriving in gardens and grocery stores, I decided that needed to be the star of my dish. And then I hit upon the idea of a take on a Caprese Salad, with the addition of cucumber and substituting chives for the basil.

 

Not only was the salad a snap to make, but it was delicious and gorgeous to look at! I’ll for sure make this again. (Be sure to use the more flavorful tomatoes you can find, as well as good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for the best result.)

Simple Summer Italian Salad

Ingredients

more or less equal amounts of:

fresh tomatoes (preferably heirloom or homegrown)

cucumber

mozzarella cheese

salt and freshly-ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

chopped chives (or green onions)

 

Directions

Peel the cucumber, if you like. Or, as I did, peel it partially, so that thin lines of green remain. Then cut the cucumber, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese into thin slices.

 

Arrange the tomato, cucumber, and cheese slices on a serving platter, alternating them to make a pretty pattern.

 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

The salad can sit in the fridge at this point for several hours. Shortly before service, drizzle the salad with olive oil.

 

Then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. 

 

Coarsely chop the green onions and scatter them over the salad.

 

 

I told you it was easy!

 

Buon appetito!

🌱  🍋 🌿

 

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Orchid Isle Mystery  #3

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WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

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Orchid Isle Mystery  #1

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Booklist

 

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

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--Kirkus Reviews

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All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.