The Crafty Wineaux

Perfectly Simple, Yet Elegant, Six-Ingredient Caprese Salad

Perfectly Simple, Yet Elegant, Six-Ingredient Caprese Salad

…as served at my bridal shower!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ingredients:

– 2 Medium Tomatoes (I prefer the “on the vine” variety that Kroger has for their flavor – slicer and roma tomatoes don’t have any good flavor and are mostly water – As a point of reference, if the tomato is easy to cut without squishing, then it’s not going to be flavorful enough for this dish.)
– 1 Ball of Fresh Mozzarella (Get the good stuff from the cheese counter, not from the refridgerated section by yogurt)
– Fresh Basil
Garlic and Peppercorn Blend Grinder
Sea Salt Grinder
– A Mid-Range Balsamic Vinegar (and definitely not one that’s been reduced to a super sweet syrup!)

Instructions:

Step 1Wash your veggies and then slice the tomatoes and mozzarella thickly (my average is ~1/3″/slice).

Step 2Arrange the tomatoes on the plate they’ll be served on. For my shower, we served one individual stack on small plates like in the photo and they were beautiful!
Step 3Grind a small amount of the Garlic and Peppercorn Blend Grinder and Sea Salt Grinder onto each tomato slice. This is just a small amount of seasoning and you’ll taste everything, so don’t go crazy. It’s just to disperse the good flavor throughout.
Step 4: I like to tear 1-2 leaves of basil and arrange them on the tomatoes at this step. I find it disperses the flavor and makes it easier to cut. Less pretty, but easier to eat for sure.
Step 5: Set one slice of mozzarella on top of each tomato slice. If I’m shooting for the elegant look, I put one leaf of basil on top of each here, but you’ll find when you try to slice this and eat it, that basil leaf can be a colossal pain in the you-know-what to cut through.
Step 6: Grind a little more pepper+garlic and salt on top of each. Finish with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar and serve! Enjoy!