Late Summer Tomato Salad. Somehow fall is already fast approaching. This totally excites me, but I have no idea how to slow down time. Time really is flying. I don’t even care how cliche it sounds! Because I am so close to Jersey, I am going to desperately miss the fresh tomatoes. They have led to some of my favorite recipes and best inspirations on my blog yet (hello, Everything Bagel Spice BLT w/ Basil Mayo). Some of the summer tomatoes you will come across towards the end of August will be a little lumpy, maybe a TAD overripe. This is how you are going to use them: with stretchy, gooey fried mozzarella and bright lemon zest.
Making the base of the tomato salad first is the best move here. That way you can focus all of your attention on the mozzarella, and still have time to serve it while it is warm and gooey. Toss it all in a bowl, done. You will notice a lot of the time on the blog I don’t measure out salt. It is because I believe being a home cook shouldn’t make you lose faith in your own taste buds! Taste a tomato once it’s tossed with the lemon zest, salt and pepper. Do you need more? Do you like it how it is? Trust the salt instincts.
Second, do not let frying the mozzarella scare you. Tossing it in the flour first ensures it stays really dry on the outside and ready for the breadcrumbs. Once the garlic & oregano is super sizzly, your oil should be hot enough to cook those bread crumbs. You only need a few minutes in the oil until it’s golden and beautiful. The hot oil and the fried garlic take the salad over the top. It creates the most beautiful tomato juice. Once you add the lemon zest..wow. I am at a loss for words as I type this because I am just so proud of how the lemon zest brightens the dish. I even think some chopped pistachios would do this dish extra justice, but you tell me!
When you make my delicious fried mozzarella & late summer tomato salad, comment here below and let me know all of your thoughts. How was practicing with seasoning?! Or let me know on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis. Follow me there. I love to make my dishes in my stories for extra tips and tricks.
[kindred-recipe id=”3278″ title=”Fried Mozzarella & Late Summer Tomato Salad”]
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