The Recipe: Caprese Salad

Sometimes the best things to eat are the simplest. This is especially true for the Caprese Salad. For anyone that has ever gone to an Italian restaurant here in the United States has seen some variation of the dish. While in Capri recently, I ate a traditional version of this popular dish that originates from the 1950s.  As a traditional dish, it is also a very simple one to prepare: fresh cow's milk mozzarella cheese, sliced local tomatoes, wild arugula, fresh oregano, and a drizzle of flavorful olive oil. Perfect. 


In the United States, we prepare the dish slightly differently. Arugula and oregano are almost universally substituted with fresh basil which, for me, is perfectly fine as I absolutely love basil. In fact, as you will see in the recipe below, I prefer to take it a step further on occasion and top my tomatoes and mozzarella with a fresh basil pesto sauce. With fresh tomatoes and basil starring in the dish, it is easy to understand why it is one of the recipes I associate most with summer. 

Another great aspect of the Caprese Salad is that the dish allows for the true flavors of the ingredients to shine. Local tomatoes in the New York/New Jersey area are amazing in the summer season as well as widely available. Greenmarket Farmer's Markets operate from April through November throughout New York City and offer some of the best produce in the city. Home cooks aren't the only people who shop there as some of the best restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn source their ingredients from farmer's markets like the one in Union Square.

As I mentioned  before, there are a host of different ways to prepare this dish, but the recipe below is my favorite. If you have a favorite recipe for Caprese Salad please share it!

Recipe

• 1 non-salted mozzarella
• 2 local heirloom tomatoes
• 1 batch basil pesto
• 1 tbsp. olive oil 
• Sea salt 

1 Prepare the pesto and set aside.

2 Slice the mozzarella cheese into 1/4" slices. Season with sea salt and leave it until the end. 

Note: I prefer to add my own salt as opposed to buying a salted mozzarella. Also, slicing and salting first allows the water to come out on the cutting board instead of the plate.

3 Cut your tomatoes into 1/4" slices. You want them to be the same thickness of the mozzarella pieces.

4 Place the slices of mozzarella and tomato interchangeably around the plate. Top with a drizzle of pesto and some olive oil.