Kids Cuisine

I haven’t made this salad in ages, but since it’s kid-approved, it should probably be in rotation a little more often.  Our five year old son, Nicholas, loves, loves, loves salami, almost as much as he loves salad, so it comes as no surprise that he had two helpings of the salad last night, and asked to take some to school today for a snack.  The recipe comes from Michael Chiarello, host of Food Network’s Easy Entertaining.  I tend to change up the recipe a bit when I make it, adding bits and pieces of things I happen to have on hand; this time, roasted red peppers found their way into the recipe and, surprisingly, Nicholas even ate those without so much as blinking.

Chop up a bunch of ingredients and mix together with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  It doesn’t get much easier than that, and while this recipe is perfect for summer-ripe tomatoes, live on the edge like we did and have it any old time.  One caveat though - fresh basil is a must for this one, no cheating and using the dried stuff.

Salami Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1 pound salami, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
Vinegar, for drizzling

In a large bowl, combine salami, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss well.