Ingredients

For the salad:
3 large multi colored heirloom tomatoes (whatever is freshest and ripest at the farmers market), washed and dried
1 pound fresh water packed mozzarella (or mozzarella di bufala if you’re lucky)
¼ cup freshly picked basil leaves, washed and dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the basil oil:
1 cup basil leaves, packed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the salad:
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into ½ inch thick slices. Generously season with salt on both sides. Taste a tiny bit of mozzarella to see if it needs salt (salt can vary on fresh mozzarella). Season if need be. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in a concentric pattern, overlapping and layering each. Tuck the basil leaves in between the layers. Drizzle with the basil oil and season again with salt and pepper.

The freshest mozzarella and most beautiful sun ripened tomatoes along with a hearty helping of salt are the keys to this simple recipe. 

For the basil oil:
Blanch the basil leaves in a pot of salted boiling water for approximately 10 seconds. Remove with a spider and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cool, remove and pat dry with paper towels. Add the basil leaves and oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Add a small pinch of salt and a few quick grinds of your peppermill. Pour into a small airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.