Insalata Caprese, Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad

While studying abroad in London during college I took a holiday to Paris for the weekend. I got in late and was STARVING. After checking into my hotel I decided to go wander around and find a place to get a bite to eat. Paris seems to never sleep and there were so many amazing sites and smells all around me, but a cozy little pizza place called my name. After traveling in a foreign country, here I felt at home. This restaurant, of all places, was where I had Insalata Caprese, or Tomato Mozzarella Salad, for the first time. A classic Italian salad while in Paris, France! No better place really, it created a special memory that I'll never forget. What's even better is that it is SO EASY to recreate, and has become a summertime staple in our home.

Insalata Caprese

3-4 large Tomatoes, thickly sliced
2 large balls of Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, thickly sliced
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, leaves stripped from the stems
Coarse Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Glaze

Alternate thick slices of fresh Tomato (look for nice big ones!), Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil leaves around a large platter. Season generously with coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a Balsamic Glaze. And then dig in!


This salad goes with just about anything. We equally love it alongside a juicy steak as with nice dippy eggs at breakfast. Sooooo good. While the tomatoes are still showing up in your CSA bag and at roadside stands, be sure to give this recipe a try! You'll see it's the perfect kiss of summer.

And here's a little tip.  Instead of buying the expensive basil in the plastic clam shell packs in the produce department (that seem to go bad way before you have time to use them all!) buy the fresh cut stems.  Then when you get home, place them in a glass or mason jar of water on your windowsill. You can pinch off the leaves as you need it when cooking and after time, your basil will start to take root! Eventually you can plant them in a pot for a kitchen cutting garden or in your back yard!

Fridays, Feasting With Friends- Featuring Amelia Sawyer

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends."

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Amelia Sawyer

Today's guest on Fridays, Feasting with friends is Cleveland native Amelia Sawyer.  She is the author of the wonderful, and very often, hilarious blog Chefs Widow.  Have you read this gem yet?  If not, oh please go add it to your reader.  It will bring a smile to your face for sure!  Along with her husband and Chef Jonathon Sawyer, they are the proud owners of The Greenhouse Tavern, named "Top 10 Best New Restaurant in America" by Bon Appetit Magazine.  Scott and I dined here for my birthday and our first date out since having Owen and immediately we fell in love with the place.  The atmosphere is cozy and warm and the food is not only local and fully sustainable, but to-die-for delicious.  It was a romantic evening and I am so thankful to these two for giving Cleveland such a special place.  We've decided that it is our definite new favorite restaurant and can't wait to go back and try out the new menu (it changes regularly per what is in season). Amelia is not only a writer and restauranteur, but also the mother of two beautiful children, Catcher and Louisiana.  These two are some of the cutest kids I have seen!

Their family is incredibly busy and I am very honored that Amelia was so lovely about doing this interview for me!  Thank you so much Amelia- you are a doll!  I can't wait to pop over and say thanks in person.  So for todays Fridays, Feasting with Friends I am proud to introduce you to Amelia Sawyer.


What is your favorite thing to cook?
right now I am really into two things: homemade veggie and potato chips using root vegetables and potatoes.  We have been getting lots of root vegetables from our CSA, Chef's Garden- radishes, sweet potatoes, etc. so they make great potato chips!  The second thing is condiments.  Most recently I made a batch of ketchup and next up is mayo.  My husband of course knows how to make these, but I want to learn myself.  

How about your least favorite thing to cook?
fish probably.  I don't cook it; I don't know when it is done.  I don't know when it is not done.  So I just don't do it!

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?
Mine!  After that I would say Lolita.  I actually would love to try out Stone Mad with Eric Williams from Momocho.  He is helping to redesign their menu.  But I want to try it out in the summer because their patio is rockin'. 

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?
The Troggs- With a Girl Like You
Stephanie Says- The Velvet Underground
Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero's
Windowsill- Arcade Fire
Rumour Has It- Adele

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?
I would choose to have a giant Italian feast cooked by my husband.

What are you currently reading?
I just finished reading Highlights Magazine with my daughter..... honestly I am going to be going on a cruise in a few days so I have been reading a book about all the different ports for the cruise line.

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?
Right now the mandolin for the potato chips and dehydrated veggie chips.  It's awesome.

beautiful potatos from Chef's Garden sliced and ready to become chips!

Do you have a signature go-to dish?
Polenta with tomato sauce.  It's easy and my grandma taught me how to cook it.  It is a staple in Italy so I grew up eating it.  My kids love it plus it is a nice, healthy go-to dish.  It's so versatile!

What is your favorite thing about the Cleveland area?
Probably the culinary scene, it's pretty rockin'!  Yeah, it's pretty fantastic!   We are in the spotlight nationally for our culinary achievements.  My generation is choosing to stay here in Cleveland and help to rebuild the city and make it livable.

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?
I was so excited when I read this question because I have a story for you.... As a child my mom would make pimento and cheese sandwiches on white bread.  It was just cheese, pimentos, mayo and salt and pepper on white, but I loved it!  I haven't had white bread in ages, but I was recently thinking about how I loved this sandwich.  Well just recently I was eating at Greenhouse with my daughter Louisiana, and on the menu I see a Pimento and Cheese sandwich!  My husband had no idea that this was an old favorite of mine.  Of course I ordered it.  It was totally different, served on a baguette with roasted red peppers- but it was great.

Top 3 Movies of all time?
Sound of Music
The Descent
Ratatouille

What was your happiest moment in life?
I absolutely can't pick just one. There are a few.  Having both of my kids!  The best and the happiest following birth was when Jonathon called me to say he won Food & Wine "Best New Chef". It made the past 10 years validated. We worked really hard. I was so, so proud.

Where do you do your grocery shopping?
We get a veggie delvery from Chef's Garden from Milan, OH. They just started this pretty amazing home delivery through FedEx. We are 90% process free, so our staples we get from Farmer Jones Farm or the restaurant. If I don't get it there I go to Heinen's and seasonally I like to go to the farmers markets for our meats. It is too hard to try and go there with young kids and strollers in the winter, so I save it for the summer.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
Pizza! I can't go to New York anymore because all I eat is pizza.  Motorino is the best ever.  I also love Frannie's from our old neighborhood. Love, love, love.

Can you tell me about what you are most proud of?
My life. Is that too vague?! But I love it! We aren't normal, but it's awesome and I am proud of it. We take lots of risks and out of all that we have fun.

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?
I want to learn to cook and perfect Pho Bao.

One word that best describes you is: Passionate

Print this Recipe

Fromage Blanc
Recipe by Chef Jonathon Sawyer of The Greenhouse Tavern

2 qt. Fresh Whole Milk (raw milk if possible, if not get organic and pasture fed)
1 cup Heavy Cream (local and pasture fed)
1 lemon juiced & peeled
Salt, to taste
1 Large Raw Globe Artichoke Split

In a large, heavy-bottomed, stainless steel saucepan; bring milk, lemon peel, artichoke, and cream to a scold (around 165 degrees). This should be done over medium heat, stirring the liquid only a few times with a flat wooden spatula (approximately 15 minutes). Pull saucepan off the heat and season with lemon juice and salt to taste. Allow to rest and return to room temperature over 15 minutes.

At this point the milk mixture should be separated (resembling curds & whey). Set up a cheese straining station with a colander or china cap line with double ply cheese cloth (or a coffee sock). Carefully ladle the curds & whey from the saucepan into cheese straining container. Allow hanging until desired texture is reached (30 minutes for cottage cheese like texture, 3 hours for ricotta like texture, & 24 hours refrigerated for true Fromage Blanc texture.)

Finish fromage blanc by whipping with a high quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh picked thyme.

Serve with grilled bread.

Finished fromage blanc can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Can also be served w/ jellies, honey, and fruit compote as a breakfast or dessert.

Great Idea for a Date Night~ Loretta Paganini School of Cooking

For Valentine's Day this year Scott and I celebrated by having a Romantic Night in Paris....  not the real thing (although wouldn't that be great if we could just hop on a plane and go to Paris for the night.... ahhhh) but it did combine some of my favorite things: cooking, enjoying amazing food and spending time with my handsome husband!  We participated in a cooking class at Loretta Paganini School of Cooking.  If you have never done this before, hurry over to her website and sign up for a class right now!  I can't think of a more special night to have with you other half.  This would also make for a great Girl's Night Out, or some good Mother-Daughter Bonding Time.... oh the possibilities are endless!  They offer all sorts of classes: from hands off, where you get to watch a cooking demonstration (and eating all that the chef's cook for you), to class participation, to full hands on.  This way no matter what your cooking background is, or how dirty you want to get in the kitchen they have something just right for you.  I have taken part in each type of class and they are all a blast.  My personal favorite are the Hand's On classes.  I love leaving knowing I learned a bunch of cool new stuff for the kitchen and how fun is it when you get to sit, eat and enjoy a spectacular meal that you just made yourself.  It is pretty cool.  Just make sure you come hungry because you will be eating throughout the entire class and then you get to sit down to a meal after the class is finished.  Many times you will even get to take some of your own leftovers home because there is just so much food you couldn't possibly finish it in one night.

On Friday, Scott and I took part in one of their Cooking with a Partner classes, A Romantic Night in Paris.  For these classes the whole group is broken into smaller teams and each team prepares a course for the entire group to then enjoy at the end of the night at dinner.  You get to start off unwinding a bit, enjoying the wine or beer that you brought (yes, it is byob unless you want coffee or water) and the appetizers they set out for you, and get to know the other people you will be cooking with.  Then the head chef will come out, greet you and fill you in on what you will be doing tonight.  And then of course, break you into teams.  This evening we had both Loretta Paganini herself and Chef Tim McCoy.  They are both a blast to work with, definitely two of my favorites so we totally lucked out get both of them in one night.  Here is our menu for tonight:

Escalope of Salmon Roulade with Leek Beurre Blanc

Cream of Asparagus Soup with Chive Oil and Creme Fraiche

Frisee Salad with Vegetable Confetti in Tarragon Vinaigrette

Beef Filet Medallions with Mushroom Ragout

Gratin de Pommes de Terr

Pear Almond Tarte Tatin

Scott and I chose to prepare the Escalope of Salmon Roulade with Leek Beurre Blac.  We wanted to try making something new and different then what we would normally make at home.  I went picture crazy, so I will just let my photographs tell you about the rest of the evening...

click on the picture to enlarge

As you can see Scott got to be the fish guy.  He filleted the fish and then spread the roasted red pepper, shiitaki mushroom, spinach and shallot mixture onto the salmon.  He then dropped the rolled fish into the water bath for it to poach.  I was the sauce girl and I assisted in the plating.  I made the Leek Beurre Blanc sauce, which is a wonderfully delicious butter leek sauce.  Absolute Heaven.  After the salmon was poached, we very carefully sliced the fish and placed it onto a toast points and then topped it with a bit of the beurre blanc sauce.  This meal was so wonderful, and now after making it once in class we have decided that we will make it at home on our own really soon.  It wasn't very difficult at all, but really makes a statement on the plate and in your mouth.  

  

As our main course we enjoyed the Filet of Beef Medallions with the Mushroom Ragout and the Gratin de Pommes de Terre, which is a sliced potato gratin.  It was so fabulous!  Scott and I were really impressed that they were able to cook all 22 filet's to a perfect medium rare.  That couldn't be easy!  

This evening was great fun, and I am already checking out the class listing to see what I want to learn next... homemade pierogi's, knife skills, mozzarella workshop, homemade pasta....?!  Aghh!  How am I going to choose?!!    

I was just a little excited!!  

So go on, do something new on your next date night and take a class with Loretta.  They are great memory makers and plus you just might learn something.