Insalata Caprese is the classic easy Italian salad, made from tomatoes and mozzarella
Salads are a great feature of Italian cuisine - and Italians grow all sorts of salad leaves which they always use as fresh as possible. They will also gather leaves from the wild - dandelion, for instance, which gives salads a strong, peppery flavour.
Favourite Italian salad leaves are rucola - rocket, which has a hot bite and is sometimes used on top of pizzas; valeriana - lamb's lettuce or cornsalad, which has a delicate taste; radicchio, a red leafed chicory which comes in 2 varieties - radicchio di Treviso, with long leaves; and radicchio di Verona, with large round leaves; and dente di leone - dandelion, which has peppery tasting leaves famed for their diuretic qualities.
One of the most widely available Italian salads - Insalata Caprese - uses fresh mozzarella. This soft, stringy white cheese traditionally comes from Campania - the region of which Naples is the capital. The finest mozzarella is made the tradition way di bufala - from buffalo milk, as buffalo graze the pastures of Campania. Today buffalo mozzarella is expensive, and you are more likely to find cows' milk mozzarella on sale. However it is worth paying extra for the finer flavour.
Insalata Caprese
To make insalata caprese layer slices of fresh plum tomatoes (the quality of tomato is very important to the flavour of this simple dish), and fresh mozzarella on a plate. Top with freshly picked basil leaves, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin oilive oil. You can add a pinch of salt to taste.
Insalata di rucola, parmigiano e pera (Salad of rocket, parmesan and pear)
Take fresh, washed, rocket leaves. Thinly slice 2 fresh pears and mix them into the rocket. Top with freshly grated parmesan (or fine slices of parmesan). Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a little good balsamic vinegar.
Beetroot leaf salad - serves 4
Italians also use the fresh leaves of beetroot in salad. Ideally they should be eaten the day they are picked.
Take the stems and leaves from around 3 bunches of raw beetroot. Separate the leaves from the stems, break the stems into smaller pieces, then wash them all. Bring a large pan of lighly salted water to the boil, add the stems and cook for around 7 minutes - then add the leaves and cook for around another 5 minutes. (Cooking time will vary depending on the age/thickness of stems and leaves. Don't overcook them). When they're all tender, drain thoroughly.
Leave to cool a little, then serve warm - mixed with a drizzle of good olive oil, salt and a little lemon juice.
If you prefer you can steam the stems and leaves.
