Tomato, Stone Fruit And Mozzarella Salad

It was Monday morning and I needed to jump-start the week. I love our weekends and I love my weekend Wall Street Journal; my favorite section is Off Duty. I usually find interesting ideas from chefs around the country. Saturday highlighted Chicago chef, Stephanie Izard and her take on a refreshing seasonal salad. This is a perfect entree to enjoy ALL the produce that is in season right now. Izard combines two of Italy’s favorite salads, the panzanella and caprese. Creamy mozzarella pairs well with the acidity of the fruit. To quote Stephanie, “this is summer in a bowl.” To quote me, “it’s the perfect way to start my week.”

Tomato, Stone Fruit And Mozzarella Salad  (adapted from Stephanie Izard/ Wall Street Journal)

Serves: 4-6

1 cup roasted and salted pistachios, roughly chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups roughly torn bread

1¼ pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 ripe nectarine, cut into wedges

2 ripe plums, cut into wedges

10 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

8 basil leaves, roughly chopped

…and I added a handful of cherries, sliced in half, pitted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together pistachios, lemon, honey,4 tablespoons oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Make croutons. Toss bread with remaining oil and season with salt. Spread croutons in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden about 12-15 minutes. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with stone fruit, season with salt. Divide mozzarella slices among plates and season with salt and pepper. Top with fruit mixture, drizzle with dressing and garnish with basil and top with croutons. Serve immediately.