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Caprese Salad, Another Way
I love Caprese Salad, that beautiful combination of fresh
mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and salt. I’ve
typically made it the classical way with sliced tomato, sliced fresh
mozzarella, and basil leaves arranged on a platter then sprinkled lightly with
salt and olive oil.
But for catering at the restaurant we often do as an
appetizer small Caprese skewers, like mini-kebabs, of tomato and fresh
mozzarella that was marinated briefly in a mixture of finely minced basil,
olive oil and salt. Having some “pearl”-sized mozzarella balls leftover
recently, I marinated them and then served them plattered and surrounded with
my favorite tomatoes (other than tomatoes fresh from the garden at peak
season), Campari. The result was a cheery appetizer as a starter for dinner. I
think I like it even better than the classical presentation.
So as fresh basil from my garden is just getting underway,
here’s my recent variant on Caprese Salad. The recipe makes enough for the
starter course for a dinner for six.
12 medium-large fresh basil
leaves, plus a small sprig for garnish
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
balls, ideally the small “pearl” size
6 Campari tomatoes, or other
small sweet tomatoes (roughly 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups total)
Finely mince the basil leaves
on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add
the olive oil and salt. Mix well. Add the mozzarella, individual pieces
separated (or halved if larger variety) and mix carefully to evenly coat them.
Place the marinated
mozzarella in the center of a serving dish. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, with
the stem bit cut off, and arrange them around the mozzarella. Place the small
basil sprig in the top of the pile of mozzarella, and serve.
