Classic Caprese Salad
Tis the season.
by Erin Henderson
There's a joke that makes the rounds every year in late summer. It goes something like, "lock the doors and close the windows, the neighbours' tomato plants are blooming."
It's right around now when you'll come home night after night to find fresh baskets of abandoned tomatoes left on your porch, thanks to the well-intentioned gardeners on your block.
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And that's probably what happened in Italy way back when. Some inventive Nonna or industrious Nonno, facing a glut of tomatoes and an anathema to waste, came up with a simple preparation to use up the bounty, but not expend too much energy in the stifling heat of a Capresian summer.
Classic Caprese Salad
For tomato lovers, this classic Italian salad is a boon for summer hosting. A brilliant no-cook option that comes together in 20 minutes, this doesn't take the cook away from the action for long.
Makes: enough for 4-8 servings depending on portion size
Chef level: easy
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella (preferably buffalo milk)
- 4 multi-coloured heirloom tomatoes
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Good quality balsamic vinegar
- High-quality extra-virgin olive oil
How to Makle It:
- Take the mozzarella from the fridge and immediately slice it into discs. Sprinkle each slice lightly with salt and set aside to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, wash your tomatoes well and slice each into discs, laying the pieces flat on a rimmed baking tray to catch any juices. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt.
- Pick the basil leaves from the stem, set aside a few of the best looking ones. With the rest, stack the leaves and roll into a cigar, then slice the roll to create ribbons.
- Alternate the mozzarella, tomato slices, and sliced basil on a platter. Pour the collected tomato juice from the tray over the slices.
- Quickly mix the balsamic vinegar and olive oil together, and drizzle over the salad. Scatter the whole basil leaves over top and serve.
Wine Pairing:
This salad works because the oozy, rich cheese is counterbalanced by the bright acidity of the tomato, while the basil helps offer fragrance and flavour. Unlike other cheese dishes where we might want a brightly acidic wine to cut through the fat, the tomatoes are already fullfilling that role, so what makes more sense is a wine with a little bit of weight and texture match the body of the cheese, but also one with some herbal flavours to pair with the basil. Verdicchio from the Marche would be a natural fit, as would Etna Bianco, a white wine from Sicily. Both should be reasonably easy to source, but if you can't find them in your local store, a good quality Sauvignon Blanc will do the trick.
