This is the most square salad of the summer to bring to a BBQ
For a long time, tomato and mozzarella salad was the absolute pinnacle of Swiss squareness. No barbecue was complete without alternating slices of red and white. But this summer, the caprese has been dethroned.
It came out of nowhere, first appearing at the odd barbecue a few years ago. The colour combination was familiar.
Red, white and green.
The ingredients, however, were completely new.
Instead of tomato, mozzarella and basil, it was watermelon, feta and mint. Guests gathered around the bowl in amazement. «Isn’t that too sweet?» I heard a worried mother ask, only to be promptly mansplained to by a midlife-crisis-turned-fitness-guru that watermelon is basically just water and it’s the feta that’s the real calorie bomb.
People cautiously spooned themselves half a serving of this exotic salad, preferring to stick to the sacred trifecta of every Swiss salad buffet: potato, carrot and caprese.
New salad, just as tasteless
That was around six years ago. Since then, watermelon and feta salad has conquered Swiss barbecues in a Napoleonic triumph. The unsalted tomato’s role as water-carrier has been taken over by an unripe gourd. The rubbery mozzarella foundation has been replaced by crumbly sheep’s cheese. And the hearty, sweetish basil has had to make way for cool, fresh mint. At least the herbs bring some flavour to the party.
Often, the only thing the two salads have in common is the excessive use of bad balsamic vinegar. A liquid that has no business being in either salad. Modena, where the sweetish vinegar comes from, is over 600 kilometres from Capri, which makes it about as much to do with caprese salad as white sausages have to do with fondue. On top of that, feta is already so sharp and watermelon so sweet that the new squarest salad of them all doesn’t need any sharp-sweet vinegar.
Source: Shutterstock
At the end of the day, what the two salads have in common is that, while they look good, they’re usually lacking any and all flavour. Unsalted tomatoes are a crime, and unripe watermelon should be illegal. So, at best, I regard the new ruler of Swiss salads with mild contempt – at worst, with disgust.
This is the best tomato salad you’ll ever eat
So that I’m not just talking the talk, here’s the recipe for the world’s best f*cking tomato and mozzarella salad.
- Mix three tablespoons of red wine vinegar – not balsamic, but the reddish, translucent stuff – with two teaspoons of salt. It should taste oversalted.
- Crush two garlic cloves so they split open, then add them to the salted vinegar. Leave to infuse for half an hour, then remove the garlic cloves.
- Halve ripe tomatoes from the market, then cut them into thin slices (ideally peel them, though I’m often too lazy for that).
- Before serving, fold the salted vinegar through the tomatoes and drizzle some good olive oil over them.
- Scatter torn basil and torn mozzarella over the tomatoes and serve.
You’re welcome.
Source: Simon Balissat
If you want more controversial opinions like this, check out our Swiss-German podcast Uftischt, which Judith and I host every week.
When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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