Caprese Salad

Caprese salad is a festive Italian salad encompassing the colors of the Italian flag which are green, white and red. This delicious and simple recipe combines three major ingredients: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. It can be eaten as an appetizer or as a side dish and is extra delicious in the summertime. This salad originated in the Campania region of Italy. The concept can be used in not only salad form, but also as a pizza topping, in a sandwich or in pasta. it also goes great with a nice crusty bread.









Recipe


Ingredients

1. 2 8oz. whole milk mozzarella balls in brine.

2. 2 Ibs. ripe salad or heirloom tomatoes (you can use Beefsteak or Big Boy)

3. Fine sea salt

4. A few sprigs of fresh basil

5. 3 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil (Any good olive oil works)

6. Ground black pepper


Instructions

1. Remove mozzarella balls from the brine, drain and dry with a paper towel. Once dry, slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Rinse, dry and slice the tomatoes with a serrated knife. They should be about 3/8 inches thick. Slightly thicker than the mozzarella. Around 12 slices.

3. Lay the tomato slices on to the cutting board or separate dish and sprinkle with sea salt. Then lay them on to your serving dish (in any arrangement you like). Lay the mozzarella slices on top of the tomatoes, so they are overlapping. Tuck the basil leaves in between the tomatoes and mozzarella, or you can sprinkle the basil on top. Whichever you prefer.

4. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and sprinkle with black pepper. At this point, you can also sprinkle some balsamic vinegar if you like which goes very nicely with this salad. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to marinate the tomatoes and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

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