Insalata Caprese

I cannot believe I'm writing an entry for caprese salad! It's one of the simplest things in the World. It's also one of my favorite salads of all time, and that's why we had it for our starter for Valentine's Day. It's amazing how just a few simple ingredients can make such a delectable salad. The trick is to use the best quality tomatoes and mozzarella you can find. In the best mozzarella, I mean Italian imported buffalo mozzarella. Imported buffalo mozzarella is like heaven in a mouthful – it’s soft, creamy and oh-so-delicious. Once you’ve tried this mozzarella, no other will ever do.

When I worked as the deputy catering director at Whole Foods, it amazed me how many tomato, basil and mozzarella platters we would sell. The numbers were ridiculous. Why would anyone buy such a simple salad that you can make yourself? All you need is the ingredients, a knife, a cutting board and a plate to put it on!

I drizzle the salad with high quality (low acidity) Italian imported extra-virgin olive oil, or homemade basil-infused olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

INSALATA CAPRESE
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
2-3 sun-ripened tomatoes, sliced into 5 mm (¼ inch) rounds
2-3 balls buffalo mozzarella, sliced into 5 mm (¼ inch) rounds
Fresh basil leaves as needed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Overlap the slices of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves in rows, concentric circles or stack.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper just before serving. Enjoy!