Insalata caprese with Purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes
All year I look forward to the brief period when the tomatoes are good enough to eat insalata caprese several times a week.
Because it is made with only 5 ingredients, and you don’t cook them, the greatness is completely determined by their quality. This calls for the finest, ripest heirloom tomatoes you can lay your hands on, sweet & milky fresh mozarella, superb olive oil, flaky sea salt, and fragrant basil. The one in the picture above was made with Purple Cherokees and a handful of mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes.
Besides being incredibly tasty, it goes together in 3 minutes flat.
So what are you waiting for?
Insalata Caprese
Vegetarian and Gluten-free; not vegan
Serves 4
- 2 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced about 3/8 – 1/4" thick
- optional: handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 large balls of fresh mozzarella, preferably buffalo mozzarella, sliced a little thinner
- best quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably fruity
- sea salt (Maldon is ideal)
- 4-5 leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade or tear
- Arrange all of the tomatoes in a single layer on serving platter.
- Top each slice with a piece of cheese.
- Drizzle everything with a generous amount of olive oil.
- Sprinkle on the salt.
- Finish with the basil garnish.
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Mmmm… best salad ever. My problem this year has been that I keep eating all the tomatoes I’ve been buying before I have a chance to buy mozzarella. I’ll have to change that ASAP so I can make this! (I usually add a little drizzle of balsamic too.)
This is almost like the essence of summer evening or something. Yum!
I was going to say this would be excellent with Purple Cherokees but you beat me to it!