Peach, Tomato, and Burrata Salad
Chunky Vegetable and Cheese Salad
Arugula, Fig, and Pecorino Salad with Honey
Arugula, Roasted Cremini, and Parmesan Salad
Escarole Salad with Egg Mimosa
Warm Potato Salad with Bacon and Tomatoes
Chickpea, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
Herbed Green Bean and Potato Salad
I first encountered peaches with olive oil in the Abruzzo region at the home of an olive grower. He wanted us to taste his olive oil, and since his garden tomatoes were not quite ripe, he sliced up some peaches instead. When I expressed my surprise at how good it tasted, he invited me to return when the tomatoes were ripe so that I could try his wife’s summer salad of peaches, tomatoes, and creamy burrata cheese drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil.
I have not been able to return yet, but in my own kitchen, I made this version with ripe summer peaches and juicy tomatoes. The colors are beautiful, and the flavor is spectacular.
Burrata is a fresh cow’s-milk cheese similar to fresh mozzarella, but with a soft, creamy center. If you can’t find burrata, see Sources or substitute mozzarella.
Serves 4
Alternate the peach and tomato slices on a platter. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
Cut the burrata into chunks and place them in the center of the peaches and tomatoes. Scatter the basil on top, drizzle with the oil, and serve.
Substitute sliced ripe avocado or ripe figs for the peaches.
Peach, Tomato, and Burrata Salad
My friend Louis Coluccio’s grandmother used to make him this spicy salad for lunch. The vegetables came from a garden on the rooftop of his grandparents’ Brooklyn home, which produced a bounty of tomatoes, chile peppers, and basil. Louis’ grandmother would combine the vegetables with sharp provolone cheese and a zesty anchovy and lemon dressing and serve it over friselle (hard bread rusks), or toasted crusty bread. Louis recommends a rich and full-flavored Southern Italian olive oil for the best flavor.
Serves 4
In a medium bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash the anchovies together with the oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tomatoes, peppers, basil, and provolone to the bowl, and toss well. (Louis recommends using your hands.)
If using friselle, dip them briefly in cool water just to moisten. Break them up and place them in four salad bowls (or break up the toasted bread and put it in the bowls). Spoon the salad on top. Drizzle with a little more oil and serve.
In the height of summer, when zucchini is everywhere, this delightful preparation makes it seem like a whole new vegetable. Uncooked and sliced paper-thin, it is crisp yet tender. The dish tastes best when made with small (hot-dog size) zucchini, not the baseball-bat kind that can run rampant in the garden. Use green or yellow zucchini, or a combination of the two.
Fresh mint provides a refreshing accent, or you can substitute basil or parsley. Pecorino Toscano is not as sharp and salty as Pecorino Romano. It has a semi-firm texture and a mild nutty flavor that becomes stronger as it ages.
Serves 4
Trim off the ends of the zucchini and cut into very thin slices. (A mandoline slicer or the thin slicer blade of a food processor does a good job.) Place the zucchini slices in a medium bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Add the dressing and mint to the zucchini and toss well. Spread the zucchini on four plates.
With a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese into thin slices over the zucchini. Serve.
Small zucchini have much more flavor than the bland, pithy, oversized ones, and a simple fresh herb dressing is just the thing to complement them. Serve this salad with a frittata or as a side dish with chicken or spicy sausages.
Serves 4 to 6
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender yet firm when pierced with a knife. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Pat dry.
Trim the ends off the zucchini and cut them into thick slices.
In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil, garlic, and herbs. Add salt to taste and serve.
I love how each bite of this salad has a variety of tastes and textures: crisp, nutty arugula, tender sweet figs, and salty cheese—all heightened with honey. A not-too-sharp cheese is perfect here, such as Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Another way to go is crumbled fresh goat cheese.
When figs are out of season, make the salad with slices of ripe pears or Fuyu persimmons.
Serves 4
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Add the arugula and toss well.
Pile the arugula onto four serving plates. Garnish with the figs. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and drizzle with the honey. With a vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino over all, and serve.
Arugula is easy to grow, even in a window box, so if you enjoy its flavor, consider growing it yourself. Here it teams up with roasted mushrooms and shavings of Parmigiano.
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a small baking pan, toss the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the vinegar together with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the arugula and toss well.
Arrange the greens on four salad plates. Top with the mushrooms. Drizzle with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. With a vegetable peeler, shave some of the Parmesan over each salad, and serve.
When many other vegetables are scarce in winter, escarole is at its best. The broad green and white outer leaves with paler yellow inner ones are chewy and slightly bitter. They are good cooked or raw in salads such as this one.
A sprinkling of grated hard-cooked eggs—called mimosa—adds a creamy texture and richness to this salad, which is dressed with an anchovy vinaigrette.
Serves 4
Place the eggs in a small saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 12 minutes.
Drain the eggs and cool in cold running water. Crack and peel under running water.
Stack the escarole leaves a few at a time and cut them crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips.
In a large salad bowl, mash the anchovies to a paste with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the escarole and toss well.
Grate the eggs over the salad, using the large holes of a box grater. Serve.
Warm Potato Salad with Bacon and Tomatoes
Crisp bacon, fresh basil, and sweet tomatoes enhance the flavor of this potato salad. I spotted something like it in an Italian cooking magazine, tinkered with the idea, and came up with this version. It’s an excellent choice for a summer barbecue or as a companion to a frittata for brunch.
When I use onions raw in a salad, I like to soak them first in a bowl of cold water. This removes some of their sharp flavor and enhances their crunch. Be sure to pat them dry before adding them to the salad.
Serves 6
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when a knife is inserted in the center. Drain and let cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, place the onion slices in a bowl of cold water, changing it once or twice.
Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Add the tomato and salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato is softened slightly. Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Drain the onion and pat it dry.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Arrange a layer of potatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with some of the basil and drizzle with some of the dressing. Scatter some of the onion and tomato over the potatoes. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients. Scatter the bacon on top and serve.
Panzanella is a classic Tuscan salad made with bread, tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables tossed with oil and vinegar. This salad is a variation on the theme, with chickpeas taking the place of the bread. Sometimes I garnish the salad with wedges of hard-cooked eggs or canned tuna for a simple summer meal.
Serves 4
In a medium bowl, toss together the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and parsley. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well. Taste for seasoning.
Arrange the arugula on a platter. Top with the chickpea mixture and serve.
My father used to love to go fishing in the waters off Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, where we lived. At home he would grill his catch while my mother prepared this salad, which is traditional in Southern Italy.
Serves 6
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water.
Pat the beans dry and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size cubes. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the beans and onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the herbs. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss well, and serve.
Kale as a salad green has been the star of any number of menus in the past few years—for good reason! Not only is it one of the healthiest greens, it’s available year-round, tastes great, and, unlike other salad greens, doesn’t wilt when it comes in contact with an acidic dressing. Though I’ve never eaten a kale salad in Italy, I decided to give the idea an Italian makeover by using typical ingredients like pine nuts and Pecorino cheese.
Fuyu persimmons are a delicious variety that does not have to be soft to be eaten. Unlike the more familiar dark orange Hachiyas, which are elongated and have a pointy bottom, Fuyus have a firm texture when ripe, similar to a mango. They are shaped somewhat like tomatoes and are yellow-orange. When persimmons are not in season, you can still make this salad: Just substitute another ripe fruit, such as oranges, pears, or apples.
Serves 4
Trim the stems from the kale. Fold the leaves lengthwise in half and cut away the thick white center ribs. Stack the leaves a few at a time and cut them into ½-inch-wide ribbons.
Cut the persimmons into wedges, discarding the stems and seeds.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the kale and toss well.
Arrange the kale on four serving plates. Scatter the persimmons and pine nuts over the top. Shave the cheese over the salad and serve.
Kale Salad with Fuyu Persimmons, Pine Nuts, and Pecorino
Sweet green grapes balance the slight bitterness of the radicchio in this salad, which I had in the Veneto region, where radicchio is an important crop. It adds bright color and a nice bite to salads and has the advantage of not wilting easily. If the grapes in the market don’t look good, substitute a cut-up apple or pear or even orange wedges.
Serves 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the parsley, scallion, oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
In a serving bowl, toss together the radicchio and grapes. Add the dressing and toss well. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Orange salads are a favorite in Sicily, where every garden has at least one orange tree. They can be as simple as sliced oranges dressed with oil and salt and pepper or more elaborate like this one, in which anchovies provide a salty contrast to the sweet orange and crunchy fennel. It is a perfect starter for a fish dinner.
Serves 4 to 6
In a small bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash the anchovies with the vinegar and oil. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.
Place the fennel and onion in a medium bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss well.
Arrange the salad greens on a platter. Spoon the fennel mixture over the greens. Top with the orange slices and olives, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and serve.
Roasted Squash, Arugula, and Gorgonzola Salad
Chunks of roasted squash topped my big salad at ReCafé, a popular restaurant for young Romans. Roasting brings out the sweet flavor of the squash, and in this fall salad, it pairs well with crunchy apple slices, toasted walnuts, and peppery arugula.
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a small baking dish, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender and lightly browned. Let cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the apple, onion, squash, and dressing. Pile the salad on four serving plates. Scatter the Gorgonzola and walnuts on top and serve.