Caprese Salad

When the tomatoes and basil ripen in the garden, we know it is time for a Caprese Salad!  This easy, flavorful salad was a tasty and quick supper last night. 

Of course, the star of the meal - the knobby, delicious lobes of the heirloom tomato, vine ripened in the sun.  This tomato was way bigger than my hand and weighed 24 ounces - one and a half pounds (yes, I had to weigh it.  Just because.).   

This tomato was so luscious and juicy, it just glistened.

Fresh picked basil, the next star of the meal.  I sliced each leaf in half, just to give the plate an interesting look.

To go with the sliced-in-half basil leaves, I sliced the tomato into one-inch by two or three inch sections and sliced the fresh mozzarella in the same style. 

How do you make your Caprese Salads?

Caprese Salad

• 1 tomato, preferably a garden (or farmers market) vine ripened heirloom
• a handful of fresh basil leaves
• about a 1/2 of a round fresh mozzarella cheese ball
• sprinkle each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
• dash kosher salt, optional

Slice and arrange tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese as desired.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over whole plate to taste (just a little bit goes a long ways).  I like to add a dash of kosher salt just to the tomato, but you can skip that if you want to!  Grab a fork and enjoy! 

P.S. Sometimes I skip the fork.