TOMATO SALAD WITH TAPENADE

Tomato Salad With Tapenade image

Provided by Mark Bittman

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

4 ripe medium tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces pitted black olives, about 1 cup
2 anchovy fillets or 1 teaspoon capers, or both
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound mozzarella, preferably fresh
1/2 cup shredded or roughly chopped basil

Steps:

Core the tomatoes, and cut them into eighths. Salt them lightly, and let sit while you make the tapenade.
Combine the olives, anchovies or capers, vinegar, oil and 1 tablespoon water in a blender or small food processor. Blend until pureed, but not too fine. Add more water if necessary; the mixture should be fairly loose. Taste the puree, and add salt and pepper as you like.
Cut the mozzarella into chunks, and toss with the tomatoes and about half the tapenade; season with salt and pepper if necessary, and add more tapenade to taste. Garnish with basil, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 292, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 15 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 644 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams