Last night I created this refreshing salad, inspired by the classic Italian appetizer Prosciutto e Melone and the equally classic Caprese Salad. I thought it would interesting to merge these two favorites into one dish for a light lunch or dinner. It turned out to be the simplest of things and had the delicious sweet yet salty contrast that I loved in my recent watermelon salad. Though you can pretty much tell by looking at it how it's made, here is a recipe of sorts:
Summer Salad
ingredients:
melon
tomato
fresh mozzarella (I used Bubalus Bubalis Water Buffalo mozzarella produced in California)
Prosciutto
Fresh Basil
Freshly ground black pepper
The quantities were all by eye. I started by slicing up the melon and cutting into rough irregular chunks. Then I added one very ripe, very sweet tomato. I added an equal amount of torn pieces of the mozzarella and a couple slices of the prosciutto, also torn rather than sliced. I finished it off with some torn basil leaves and a generous sprinkling of black pepper.
It didn't need salt because the prosciutto is salty enough and it didn't need olive oil, though you could try a drizzle of a particularly fruity and delicious olive oil. I tossed it ever so gently and let it sit for five to ten minutes. Then we ate every bit of it and wished we had some more.
