RECIPE: Tomato & Watermelon Salad With Ricotta Salata

June 20, 2013 at 8:43 am · Filed under Cheese-Yogurt-Dairy, Recipes, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

Tomato and watermelon salad: delicious! (photo © McCormick).

[2] Ricotta salata, a good “salad cheese.” There’s more about ricotta salata below(photo © Good Eggs).

It‘s not red, white and blue, but we can’t wait to serve this salad over July 4th weekend. It’s a riot of different flavors, accented with ricotta salata, a firm Italian cheese with a mildly salty flavor. (If you can’t find it, substitute feta.)

The summer salad recipe is courtesy McCormick.com, which has many yummy recipes.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & WATERMELON SALAD
WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground

2 tablespoons julienne-cut fresh basil

2 tablespoons julienne-cut fresh mint

2 to 3 cups loosely packed arugula leaves

4 large heirloom tomatoes, assorted varieties, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 3 pounds)

16 wedge-shaped slices ricotta salata, 1/4-inch thick (about 6 ounces)

16 wedge-shaped slices seedless watermelon, 1/4-inch thick

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

8 diagonally sliced French bread slices, 1/2-inch thick, grilled (optional)

Preparation

1. MIX oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper in small bowl until well blended. Mix basil and mint in small bowl. Set aside.

2. ARRANGE 1/4 cup loosely packed arugula leaves on each of 8 plates. Divide tomato slices, ricotta salata and watermelon among plates. Arrange decoratively as desired.

3. SPRINKLE basil-mint mixture and red onion evenly over each salad. Drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with grilled bread slice, if desired.

ABOUT RICOTTA SALATA

Most people are familiar with the fresh, soft form of ricotta. As a fresh cheese, it has a limited shelf life.

To extend its life, long ago the ricotta was salted, baked and smoked. Today the pressed, salted, dried and aged version of ricotta is known as ricotta salata (salted ricotta).

The cheese, made in wheels, is milky-white and firm. It is used for grating or shaving. In addition to salads, grate it over potatoes, rice, soups and grilled vegetables.

Please follow and like us: