Serves 4
You may have thought you shouldn’t fiddle with a classic like caprese salad — tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil — but you can annotate it, layering feta instead of the creamy Italian cheese, and adding juicy peaches. With basil and mint for a bright note, you get an array of sweet, salty, aromatic tastes. Once you buy tomatoes, don’t refrigerate them, but store at room temperature; be sure to salt them to bring out their best flavor. A unique summer pleasure is effortless food that celebrates the season’s ripe fruits.
| 1 | large handful arugula |
| 3 | tablespoons top-quality olive oil, or more to taste |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 4 | multicolored tomatoes, at room temperature |
| ½ | pint mixed cherry tomatoes |
| 2 | medium peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into wedges |
| 4 | ounce piece French, Greek, or other creamy feta |
| 10 | fresh basil leaves, or more to taste |
| 8 | fresh mint leaves, or more to taste |
1. On a large platter or individual plates, arrange the arugula. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Core the large tomatoes and slice into rounds; halve or quarter smaller tomatoes. Spread the tomatoes on the cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the tomatoes and peaches on the arugula. Sprinkle with more olive oil and more pepper, if you like. Crumble the feta on top, and garnish with basil and mint leaves. Sally Pasley Vargas
Sally Pasley Vargas can be reached at [email protected].