Insalata CapresePrint Recipe

I have been known to purchase produce purely for aesthetic purposes – I love big bowls of fruit in my kitchen or on my sideboard, particularly platters of botticelli-like pears and bowls of heirloom tomatoes. The shapes and colours of some fruit and vegetables can be as beautiful as flowers.

Over the last couple of weeks I had been eyeing Summers bountiful supply of tomatoes, looking so luscious and red (and green and yellow and black too). The perfectly ripe rounds (and not so rounds) have had me pondering how I do them justice – aside from having them displayed in my home as ‘art’.

As with all good produce, ‘simplicity’ is the key – in the case of an Isalata Caprese, the quality of the produce is also tantemount to the outcome of the dish. You want the best olive oil you can get your hands on, perfectly fragrant basil, the freshest buffalo mozzarella and, of course, tomatoes that are burstingly ripe and as glorious in taste as they are in texture.

From there it is all pretty simple really, ensure your ingredients are at room temperature, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, tear the basil, drizzle the olive oil and scatter some sea salt – that’s it! Pure, simple, beautiful and great with some crusty bread.

Ingredients
1 kilo/2 pounds perfectly ripe tomatoes (any shape or colour)
2 buffalo mozzarella (about 250gm each), thickly sliced
½ cup (loosely packed) basil, coarsely torn
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
To serve: crusty bread (optional)

Arrange tomato and mozzarella on a serving platter, scatter with basil, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. Serve with crusty bread if you wish.

Yield: serves 6 as a starter

Notes: If you cannot get your hand on buffalo mozzarella then use ordinary fresh mozzarella/boccocini.

© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.