caprese salad

Insalata Caprese (Caprese Salad) is a family favorite and this was our last chance to have have this amazing salad this season with tomatoes from the garden.

Caprese is a traditional salad of Italy.  It had its origin from the Island of Capri off Naples, Italy and in Italy it is most often serves as an appetizer.

It has few ingredients: vine ripened tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese and basil.  These three ingredients are layered and then drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Although it is not done in Italy in the United States Caprese is often made with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar added and that is the way that we had ours today.

 This very colorful salad with its green, white and red is reminiscent of the Italian national flag:

tricolore

Caprese salad

fresh tomato, we used paste tomatoes from the garden
fresh mozzarella cheese (buffalo if available)
basil leaves fresh from the garden
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Thinly slice the cheese and the tomatoes and layer with the basil leaves.  Drizzle with small amount of olive oil.  Salt and pepper. Drizzle with small amount of balsamic if using.