Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad with Mozzarella di Bufala

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Sarah Blackburn

Submitted by Linda Guttman of Arlington. She gets her ingredients from the Arlington Farmers Market and Whole Foods. As a subscriber, her copy of Edible Boston arrives in her mailbox each season. “At the farmers market, I buy my heirloom tomatoes and basil from Kimball Farms. These are award-winning tomatoes! I buy the peaches from Niecewicz Farms, who really know their peaches! For the olive oil and mozzarella, I go to Whole Foods. I got the balsamic vinegar at the Newport, Rhode Island Flower Show where there is a large marketplace out on the back lawn. We found a vendor who carried many varieties of balsamic vinegar, but I totally fell in love with the Vanilla Fig Balsamic Vinegar. And we buy all our spices (including salt) from Penzeys in Arlington Heights.”

Serves 6–8

6 medium heirloom tomatoes (or nice local fresh ones)
1 container imported Mozzarella di Bufala (or a locally-made mozzarella)
3 medium ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced into 6-8 inch wedges each
15 basil leaves
Good, aged balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, preferred
Crunchy sea salt

Slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch slices or cut into wedges. Arrange on a pretty platter and top all around with the peach wedges. Slice the mozzarella into ¼-inch slices and arrange around the plate. Tear the basil with your hands and scatter over the salad. Dress with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the balsamic. Salt lightly and serve.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2014 issue as part of a larger story on potluck salads.