Insalata Caprese
Originating on the isle of Capri, this
simple composed salad - when done right – is one of summer's pure
pleasures. Do not skimp on ingredients, with so few in this recipe,
the quality of each ingredient must be tops. No store-bought tomatoes and hermetically sealed mozzarella that tastes like its wrapper.
In the waning days of summer we are
fortunate to have an abundance of heirloom tomatoes around, this is a
perfect way to showcase them. I love Purple Cherokee tomatoes in this but Green Zebras are a close second. Purple Cherokees are a deep red-purple tomato with sweet flavor while Green Zebras are bright green and striped. They have a higher acid content.
For a taste of an intro to heirlooms read here. Links to more info below.
Ingredients:
- Heirloom tomatoes or tomatoes from a
good friend's garden
- Mozzarella di Bufala or fresh
mozzarella
-
Best quality olive oil – first cold
pressed extra virgin
-
Fresh basil leaves
-
Fresh ground black pepper, sea salt or
kosher salt
- Top quality balsamic vinegar
To assemble:
- Slice tomatoes with a serrated knife.
- Slice mozzarella.
- Alternate slices of tomato and
mozzarella in a row or semi-circle around a salad plate
- Sprinkle with salt, grind pepper
Make chiffonade of basil:
- Wash and spin dry leaves of basil.
- Stack a few leaves on top of each
other, then roll as you would a cigar.
- Cut crosswise with a sharp knife (not
serrated) and you'll have a bunch of little strips of basil.
- Spread chiffonade across the
basil/tomato salads. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a bit of
balsamic.
Enjoy!
About real tomatoes:
Grocery store tomatoes, even the hot
house varieties and those that claim to be “vine ripened”, are
usually hybrids that were developed to withstand machine harvest and
cross-country trucking. Often they are picked underripe and then
gassed to hasten the coloring that imitates ripening. They were not truly vine-ripened or they would be mush by the time they traveled all the way from farm to table. They will
never approach the flavor of a true heirloom tomato which tastes like a tomato is supposed to taste.
About Balsamic:
True balsamic vinegar is not just dark
vinegar, though many brands in grocery stores claim to be. If you can
splurge, get to a good Italian grocer and ask for assistance finding
the best in your price range. If you have a Whole Foods, Bristol
Farms, or Williams-Sonoma you should be able to find a good quality
balsamic.
- For more information about traveling through Italy and eating and drinking all it has to offer, see Delicious Italy.
About Olive Oil:
Olive oil is extracted from olives through a pretty involved process. If you're looking at large commercial brands it is essential that you get "first cold pressed, extra virgin" or you may find yourself with oil that has been chemically extracted from olives with little left to give. I prefer to use brands such as Colavita for everyday cooking (say sauteeing olive oil and garlic for spaghetti) while keeping bottles of artisanal olive oils on hand for fresh preparations like salads.
Leave a Comment
JacquelineC at 4:20pm on Jan. 2, 2008
about 1 year ago
The latest craze is Burrata cheese. It's got a soft, creamy center. Hard to find but worth a try. Reply...
Hunter N. Fisher at 4:54pm on Dec. 30, 2007
about 1 year ago
Sounds like a delicious and refreshing light meal. Reply...
James at 3:08am on Aug. 21, 2007
about 1 year ago
Thats interesting thing to know about tamatoes .............. will try this salad......thanks for the recipe Jacqueline! Reply...
JacquelineC at 5:59pm on Aug. 20, 2007
about 1 year ago
Some people estimate the average supermarket tomato travels over 3000 miles before reaching your table. Local sometimes/often trumps organic, especially if you're concerned with environmental impact. Anyway, it's a good simple salad, give it a try! Reply...
Bob A. at 6:04am on Aug. 20, 2007
about 1 year ago
Hey, thats very interesting.... need to try this out soon. Those tomato facts really got me...... Reply...