Simple summer salad
A lot of the women that I have worked with this month have gardens. Every day at lunch, they bring cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and other beautiful and colorful vegetables. Yesterday, one of the ladies was mentioned her basil and tomatoes, so of course caprese salad came to mind. I thought that it would be a wonderful and light salad, and it was!
Caprese salad is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania. It is classically made of fresh sliced mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. I’ve seen variations with balsamic vinegar, with marinated cheese, with roasted tomatoes, and even on a stick! But I think the best way to have it is the classic way – it’s the way that the Italians do it, and they know best.
Because this is such a simple recipe with few ingredients, it is important to get the best ingredients that you can. I read a review for this recipe and the lady used jack cheese and canned tomatoes – what a crime! (AND she had the nerve to give the recipe 3 stars!) A farmers market is perfect for this, but even if you don’t have time to go to the farmers market, just make sure you get fresh heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh (NOT dried) basil, and fresh mozzarella. Most supermarkets now have a great cheese selection and some even have antipasti bars where you can get fresh mozzarella. A nice sweet extra-virgin olive oil is good too, but not absolutely necessary. I have found that Trader Joe’s has a great inexpensive olive oil from California. I can’t recall the exact name of the oil, but it comes in a tall, dark, cylindrical bottle.
I just threw this together and didn’t really use a recipe, but I found a Rachael Ray recipe that is similar to what I did. One thing that I like to do a little differently is season the tomatoes before I layer the salad. The salt makes the tomatoes a little more tomato-y, if that makes any sense :). Also, I actually like to tear the basil because it makes it easier to eat. I left them whole in the pictures because it was so pretty. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and pepper
Directions
Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bon appetit!
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