A caprese salad is one of life's simple pleasures. Fresh summer tomatoes are layered between bright white slices of buttery mozzarella cheese and slivers of green basil leaves. Almost no dressing is necessary - just a drizzle of olive oil and a splash balsamic vinegar to accentuate the ingredients natural flavors. If you've never prepared this classic Italian salad, summer is the perfect time to do so because tomatoes are at their best.
After you've sampled the traditional recipe, you can experiment different versions of caprese salad like tomatoes with mozzarella crisps from Cook the Story. Fresh mozzarella slices are baked in the oven until the moisture has evaporated and they become golden brown. This process intensifies the flavor and adds a nuttiness to the cheese. The crisps are placed on top of the tomato slices and garnished with a drizzle of basil oil. I like to use heirloom tomatoes for this recipe because their flavors are so distinct from one another that each bite tastes different.
This dish can be served as a starter course or you can pile on the tomatoes and mozzarella crisps onto a ciabatta roll for a simple vegetarian sandwich. For a full list of ingredients and recipe instructions, click here.
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