A marvelous way to utilize that perfect tomato!

A caprese salad is a classic in Italian cuisine. It is made made up of very limited ingredients: tomato, basil, and mozzarella. This may not sound too enticing, but when tomatoes are in season and full of flavor, it can really blow your taste buds away. It is a very elegant, yet simple dish that can be plated in a multitude of ways, to be enjoyed by all. This a great salad to bring to a summer party or used to impress your guests. As I mentioned previously, ingredients are vital to this dish. I would never attempt this in the winter, when tomatoes are not in season, and lack flavor. Home grown tomato make this salad phenomenal!

Caprese Salad

Serves: 4             Cook Time: 0 min             Prep Time: 10 min

• 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced 1/4"
• 1 Ball Fresh Mozzeralla, sliced 1/4"
• 10 Leaves, fresh basil
• Aged Balsamic for drizzling
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Arrange tomato, mozzarella and basil in a stack. Repeat the layers and garnish with a chiffonade of fresh basil. Drizzle with balsamic, olive oil. Enjoy! It can be chopped or lay flat on a platter for a different presentation. Depending on the amount of people or the occasion! Enjoy those wonderful tomatoes with this salad.

Tip- Fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella. This Italian cheese is often found stored in whey or vacuum sealed packages. It has a completely different taste and texture from the mozzarella used on your pizza. It is a somewhat soft cheese with a very clean and yet slightly salty flavor. There is no substitute for this cheese. Almost every grocery store stocks it these days. If you have a local or specialty store that sells it, go for it! It is best eaten the same day that it is made. If you haven't tried this amazing cheese, you are in a for treat, this is not the mozzarella cheese you ate as a kid.

Assembled for presentation