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I have had a love affair with caprese anything for what feels like forever. With this caprese appetizer being my go-to for guests or just myself, when I saw today’s recipe in Bon Appétit’s recent issue, I couldn’t wait to make it my own. The triumvirate of flavors: tomato, mozzarella and basil, no further perfection is necessary. And when the temperatures begin to rise, nobody wants to step into the kitchen to turn the oven, and with this recipe, you do not have to.
Simply head to your local produce stand or step into your garden, select the freshest tomatoes (the more variety of color and size the better for a eye-catching presentation), pick up your preferred version of mozzarella (I used burrata, which made it a bit creamier and less neat, but the flavor was decadence beyond delight), clip some fresh basil from your herb garden, say hello to your local baker as you pick up a fresh loaf of crusty bread, maybe a bottle of rosé (why not?), find your sea salt, pepper meal and olive oil, and you are set.
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 8 tomatoes heirloom, fresh, flavorful, in season a variety of sizes and colors, whole 1/4" slices, as well as quartered
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 ball burrata, mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella cheese rip into bite size pieces
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil add as much or as little to taste (1/4 cup is approximate)
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- fresh artisan crusty bread
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped roughly
Instructions
- Slice and tomatoes in a variety of sizes as it will be enjoyed with a knife a fork. However, if you want them all uniform, slice them as you prefer. Presentation with a variety of sizes adds a rustic touch and reveals the variety of different tomatoes included.
- Add the pieces of ripped mozzarella. I used burrata which makes the dish appear more creamy and less uniform and neat, but buffalo or regular fresh mozzarella will change keep the neat presentation.
- Place tomatoes and mozzarella mixture into the platter you wish to you to serve. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Let the dish sit for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Sprinkle fresh basil on top, serve with crusty torn pieces of bread and dive in!
~View more TSLL Recipes here.
I believe the first photo is called “the money shot.” Gorgeous! I completely agree with you that a cold salad on a hot day is nourishing and refreshing. Plus it doesn’t weigh on you after eating…more room for ice cream!
I must confess that, while I love tomatoes in almost every format, I do have a texture issue with the bigger tomatoes — it’s the seeds and “jelly” — so I have developed a work-around for Caprese Salad by using Roma tomatoes with similarly sized chucks of cantaloupe and / or watermelon. I like to think I’m being efficient by having the entree and dessert all at once. ?
Y’all appear to be having the weather we normally have in Texas about now. (In July and August, we consistently have 97F+ degrees at midnight.) Take care, keep cool and drink water. The heat won’t last forever; it just feels like it will.
Deborah, Thank you for reminder that this heat too shall pass. 🙂 And I especially appreciate your idea about mixing it up with cantaloupe and/or watermelon. While I am a big tomato lover, I know not everyone is, so this sounds like a delicious alternative. Thank you!
That looks amazing!! I will be making by that for dinner this week for sure! And drinking a lovely rose to go with! Thank you for the recipe!
My pleasure! It was delicious! So simple and with fresh tomatoes – it was like eating candy. 🙂
This looks delicious, thanks for sharing.
What also it a nice presentation is to lay the salad on a long white rectangular shaped platter. Very colorful and inviting!
Your recipes are wonderful. I am very envious of your food stores! I have tried to buy burrata but the only shop I could find that sold it was a fromagerie in Paris while away with family. Where I live in the UK speciality items are rare. best wishes.