Cook this: Martha’s mango and mozzarella with young lettuces

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Our cookbook of the week is Salad Freak by Jess Damuck. Over the next three days, we’ll feature more recipes from the book and an interview with the author.

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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Snoop Dogg’s BBQ chicken Cobb salad with all the good stuff; and carrot and saffron socca.

Jess Damuck‘s spring take on a caprese — mango, mozzarella and tender greens tossed with a lemony vinaigrette — came to be after a long day of shooting at Martha Stewart‘s home in Bedford, Westchester County, N.Y.

“This was such a fun one because I made it with Martha,” says Damuck, who has worked with Stewart for more than a decade as a food editor and stylist, producer and “personal salad maker.”

With the lighting equipment still set up in Stewart’s kitchen during a multi-day shoot, they maneuvered around it to examine the contents of her fridge, “which happened to be these lettuces that were just picked from her garden, a perfectly ripe mango and mozzarella cheese.”

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It’s a simple combination, Damuck adds, but came together perfectly as Stewart told them stories about travelling around Morocco in a Volkswagen van in the 1960s.

“(It was) one of those moments where it was like, ‘I kind of can’t believe this is happening,’” Damuck recalls. “It was a really magical moment.”

MARTHA’S MANGO AND MOZZARELLA WITH YOUNG LETTUCES

Produce:
1 lemon
2 small, ripe mangoes (preferably Ataulfo)
2 small heads young lettuce, mixed varieties (8 1/2 oz/240 g; see note)

Dairy:
1 ball (about 4 to 6 oz/115 to 170 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, in water (yes, that kind, please!)

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Pantry:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Champagne vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flaky salt

MAKE THE LEMONY CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE (WITH MUSTARD):

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons mustard, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 4 teaspoons Champagne vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey. While whisking, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil until emulsified. Season well with kosher salt and pepper.

PREP:

Peel 2 mangoes using a Y-peeler (see note). Hold a mango upright and find the tallest-looking side. The pit is long and flat and will run along that line, so start by cutting off both larger cheeks. Then, carefully running your knife along the curve of the pit, cut off the smaller side pieces. Thinly slice all of your mango.

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Separate the leaves of 2 heads lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces to make about 6 cups (240 g); wash and spin dry. Thinly slice 1 ball mozzarella cheese.

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE:

Toss your lettuce with about half of the dressing. Arrange on a serving plate or platter and then top with sliced mango and mozzarella—drizzle with more dressing as desired, and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Serves: 2 to 4 as a light meal or side
(I like to pair it with poached or grilled chicken or fish.)

Notes: If you can find a few heads of young lettuce at the farmers’ market, that would be best — otherwise just green leaf or butter lettuce will work fine.

Damuck uses her Kuhn Rikon Swiss Y-peelers “every single day.” Find them online (e.g., cookstore.ca) or at kitchen supply stores.

Recipe and image excerpted from Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession by Jess Damuck. Text copyright © 2022 Jess Damuck. Photograph copyright © 2022 Linda Pugliese. Used by permission of Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Article content

Our cookbook of the week is Salad Freak by Jess Damuck. Over the next three days, we’ll feature more recipes from the book and an interview with the author.

Article content

To try another recipe from the book, check out: Snoop Dogg’s BBQ chicken Cobb salad with all the good stuff; and carrot and saffron socca.

Jess Damuck‘s spring take on a caprese — mango, mozzarella and tender greens tossed with a lemony vinaigrette — came to be after a long day of shooting at Martha Stewart‘s home in Bedford, Westchester County, N.Y.

“This was such a fun one because I made it with Martha,” says Damuck, who has worked with Stewart for more than a decade as a food editor and stylist, producer and “personal salad maker.”

With the lighting equipment still set up in Stewart’s kitchen during a multi-day shoot, they maneuvered around it to examine the contents of her fridge, “which happened to be these lettuces that were just picked from her garden, a perfectly ripe mango and mozzarella cheese.”

Article content

It’s a simple combination, Damuck adds, but came together perfectly as Stewart told them stories about travelling around Morocco in a Volkswagen van in the 1960s.

“(It was) one of those moments where it was like, ‘I kind of can’t believe this is happening,’” Damuck recalls. “It was a really magical moment.”

MARTHA’S MANGO AND MOZZARELLA WITH YOUNG LETTUCES

Produce:
1 lemon
2 small, ripe mangoes (preferably Ataulfo)
2 small heads young lettuce, mixed varieties (8 1/2 oz/240 g; see note)

Dairy:
1 ball (about 4 to 6 oz/115 to 170 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, in water (yes, that kind, please!)

Article content

Pantry:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Champagne vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flaky salt

MAKE THE LEMONY CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE (WITH MUSTARD):

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons mustard, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 4 teaspoons Champagne vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey. While whisking, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil until emulsified. Season well with kosher salt and pepper.

PREP:

Peel 2 mangoes using a Y-peeler (see note). Hold a mango upright and find the tallest-looking side. The pit is long and flat and will run along that line, so start by cutting off both larger cheeks. Then, carefully running your knife along the curve of the pit, cut off the smaller side pieces. Thinly slice all of your mango.

Article content

Separate the leaves of 2 heads lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces to make about 6 cups (240 g); wash and spin dry. Thinly slice 1 ball mozzarella cheese.

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE:

Toss your lettuce with about half of the dressing. Arrange on a serving plate or platter and then top with sliced mango and mozzarella—drizzle with more dressing as desired, and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Serves: 2 to 4 as a light meal or side
(I like to pair it with poached or grilled chicken or fish.)

Notes: If you can find a few heads of young lettuce at the farmers’ market, that would be best — otherwise just green leaf or butter lettuce will work fine.

Damuck uses her Kuhn Rikon Swiss Y-peelers “every single day.” Find them online (e.g., cookstore.ca) or at kitchen supply stores.

Recipe and image excerpted from Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession by Jess Damuck. Text copyright © 2022 Jess Damuck. Photograph copyright © 2022 Linda Pugliese. Used by permission of Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS.