9 July 2008
what’s cooking wednesday:
caprese salad
Well, Mom is safely back at home. We’ve only spoken on the phone a handful of times (OK, closer to two handfuls) since she left on Monday morning, so I’d say we’re dealing with the withdrawal symptoms well, wouldn’t you?
So as I try to beat the heat (it is HOT!) and rejoin real life, including full-time work again (I cut back to part-time while Mom was here), I’m feeling a bit lazy around the kitchen.
But lazy doesn’t have to mean “bad for the tastebuds” when tomatoes and basil are in season!
I’ll tell you, if we’re not having Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil or homemade Pesto alla Genovese, we’re having a Caprese Salad or Insalata Caprese if you want to be fancy. Or, you know, Italian.
Many of you know this one, but since it is absolutely one of my favorite summer treats, here it is for this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday:
You’ll need:
- Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil in the *best* qualities you can find
- Salt to taste
You can arrange this salad any way you like, but I usually do slices of tomatoes alternating with slices of mozzarella on a serving plate. Then I tear up the basil leaves and drizzle olive oil on top and finish with a sprinkling of salt.
The quantities of everything are up to you and your tastes, as is the decision on whether to “dress up” this simple salad with other treats like black olives or balsamic vinegar.
So who’s up for a refreshing, easy-to-prepare, delicious summer salad with the colors of the Italian flag?
And more importantly, who’s bringing the crusty Italian bread to sop up all those juices left on the plate?
Buon appetito!
Related posts:
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Dipping Sauce
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Linguine with Shrimp and Mussels
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Chiacchiere per Carnevale
24 beans of wisdom »
nyc/caribbean ragazza on 09 Jul 2008 at 8:50 am #
This is one of my favorite salads. So easy, yummy and pretty!!
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..Fellini under the stars at Villa Medici, Chris & Don. A Love Story and the new Bond trailer.
Can’t beat it in the summer, Ragazza
milanesemasala on 09 Jul 2008 at 10:23 am #
Mmmm, there’s nothing better in the summer. Italians are the best at putting simple ingredients
together to make an unforgettable dish.
milanesemasala’s last blog post..Itanglish Korner
So true. Simplicity is often so overwhelmingly good
Joanne at frutto della passione on 09 Jul 2008 at 10:26 am #
That picture is gorgeous. We eat this all summer at my house, I even take it on picnics.
Joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Name that cocktail
Great idea Joanne…can I come on the next one?
annoa2 on 09 Jul 2008 at 11:52 am #
This is one of my favorite summer salads! Alas, we lack the tomatoes. Sigh. Soon. Very, very soon, I hope.
annoa2’s last blog post..The Lazy Days of Summer
Oh I do hope you get some tomatoes soon! It’s nearly mid-July!
running42k on 09 Jul 2008 at 12:18 pm #
Can’t beat a salad on a hot summer day, as I blogged about two days ago.
running42k’s last blog post..Double rainbow
Completely agreed
erin :: the olive notes on 09 Jul 2008 at 2:00 pm #
So glad you had a great time with your mom! And the salad looks so good…I have to find some good mozz here b/c I’ve been craving this!
erin :: the olive notes’s last blog post..independence weekend
Get on that search Erin! It’s time for Caprese!
joe@italyville on 09 Jul 2008 at 2:28 pm #
Mozzarella di bufala is one of my favorite foods… although it’s hard to find a good quality bufala here in the States (Costco started carrying a pretty good one if anyone is looking for it…. good for here that is:) Your Caprese looks delicious Michele…. fresh, fresh, fresh!
Thanks Joe! Hope you find some passable mozzarella di bufula ASAP
somepinkflowers on 09 Jul 2008 at 2:35 pm #
now
we are talking!
my most favorite summer lunch
when in your country
or mine.
{{ the VERY reason i grow tons of basil }}
over here there is a scare about tomatoes carrying disease.
everyone in the south is afraid to buy them at the market
and the tomato farmers are going broke.
thank goodness we grow our own
or what to do!
i love reading your recipes but the ones like this
with 3 items + salt & pepper = i am in the kitchen with you, missy!
too hot to cook but *good* mozzarella calls my name.
somepinkflowers’s last blog post..tourist tuesday and kay larkin airport
I’m very relieved to know you’re still supplied with tomatoes; now I see that maybe the salmonella didn’t even come from tomatoes after all. Looks like the FDA and CDC may have lots of ’splainin to do….
Pleased to have you in the kitchen my dear
Paolaccio on 09 Jul 2008 at 3:45 pm #
As we all know, fancy = Italian (a least when it comes to language).
Great salad, lovely picture, I can’t wait to make one. Going up to Philly today, so a trip to the Italian Market is definitely in order. It’s so weird now that it’s cleaned up and not all stenchy.
Abbondanza!!
Paolaccio’s last blog post..Mile 2,518: taking it Big Easy
Aw, I don’t know if I’d like it stenchless…can’t wait for the report. And photos!
Stefanie on 09 Jul 2008 at 3:46 pm #
Yum! I was just thinking the other day that it was caprese season again! Next year I really need to try growing my own tomatoes and basil. This year I’ll have to settle for the grocery store as per usual.
Stefanie’s last blog post..Live blogging my water heater repair
Hey so long as you get your Caprese, I’m in favor
Christina Arbini on 09 Jul 2008 at 4:12 pm #
They’ve just started restocking tomatoes here, which is great because I LOVE Caprese salad! And the Roma tomatoes are my favorite.
Glad to hear you had such a wonderful time with your mom. My mom lives only an hour away, yet we still manage to chat for nearly an hour just about every day on the phone. Gotta love our moms!
Christina Arbini’s last blog post..A Bluetooth Is Not Something You Get From Eating Blueberries
Moms are the best! What *do* we have to talk about all the time? Too fun
And woohoo on the tomatoes’ return!
thotlady on 09 Jul 2008 at 5:30 pm #
You know I am the only one in my family who does not like raw tomatoes…how crazy is that. I simply cannot acquire a taste for them. It is too bad, because there are so many wonderful recipes and dishes with tomatoes in them. Case in point, you recipe today. I do however like anything with cooked tomatoes…thank God!
thotlady’s last blog post..Birthday’s
Why, I’m (nearly) speechless! Actually my best friend growing up didn’t like raw tomatoes either; it’s a wonder we ever became friends
Ami on 09 Jul 2008 at 5:44 pm #
I stopped to get some mozzarella on my way home last night because I’ve been craving this salad for days! I know what I’m having for dinner tonight.
Ami’s last blog post..Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged
Buon appetito Ami
stacy on 09 Jul 2008 at 5:57 pm #
Oh my gosh – this is my FAVORITE salad! I totally live on it during the summer. I have had a tomato everyday for the past 2 wks. hehe Currently, I am out of good (well sort of good) mozzarella so have been combing the tomato with cottage cheese. I love all the juice mixed with olive oil and salt at the end. hehe give me a good piece of bread and I am good.
off to make me one for lunch… lol
stacy’s last blog post..Following the crowd
I’m a sucker for the juice at the end too…yum
My Mélange on 09 Jul 2008 at 6:40 pm #
Well, I’ll bring the bread AND some chilled Pinot Grigio too
I love this salad. One of my fav’s…I occasionally splash a little balsamic on for good measure…but only a little- I don’t want to overwhelm the other delicious flavors.
And what…no pic’s of you and the mamma?
My Mélange’s last blog post..Just back from…..
All in due time Robin
Dory on 09 Jul 2008 at 6:59 pm #
Insalata Caprese is one of my absolute and I mean ABSOLUTE favorites OF ALL TIME!! Love love love it! I fell in love with it over 20 years ago when I lived in Italy and just darn near salivate thinking about it!
Dory’s last blog post..StickY KeYs
I hear you Dory. I don’t know what I ever did without insalata caprese!
jen of a2eatwrite on 09 Jul 2008 at 9:43 pm #
This is exactly what we had for dinner last night! I just love caprese salad! I know this isn’t authentic, but I do dribble a little balsamic vinegar and fresh cracked pepper on my caprese, as well.
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday: Power Muffins
Sounds great to me Jen
Ice Tea For Me on 09 Jul 2008 at 9:57 pm #
Sorry to hear that your time with your mom is over.
Caprese salad is one of my all time favorites and I order it practically every day when in Italy. I don’t seem to find the quality of tomatoes here to be able to enjoy it. Huge bummer. This is definitely a dish that if it’s not the freshest of fresh it’s just better not to make at all.
Ice Tea For Me’s last blog post..what’s cooking wednesday – southwestern chicken caesar salad
Unfortunately I have to agree with you there; if the ingredients aren’t fabulous on their own, this one really isn’t going to go very well
Wanderlust Scarlett on 09 Jul 2008 at 10:13 pm #
I could do this one with probably no hassle or problem! Woo Hoo!
It looks so good. ;o)
You could bring the bread over here… *grin*
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..In Thoughts Of You
OK, bread’s coming with me then
Rebecca on 10 Jul 2008 at 5:36 am #
This is one of my favorite salads! It’s perfect summertime food and always looks so tasty. Besides, anything that is this easy to make definitely gets bonus points in my book
Rebecca’s last blog post..29 and holding
I’m so with you there Rebecca, especially in summertime
Lucia on 10 Jul 2008 at 8:18 pm #
Hmmmm….I want that for dinner tonight…time to get some Mozzarella!
Lucia’s last blog post..The Butcher’s Freezer Door
Buon appetito Lucia!
Louise on 16 Jul 2008 at 4:13 am #
We get wonderful tomatoes from Plaquemines Parish, which is just south of New Orleans. Fortunately, they have not been caught up in the tomato ban.
Louise’s last blog post..Delicious Deviled Egg Recipes from Paula Dean
Lucky indeed! As it’s turning out, not many actual tomatoes *have* been identified in the salmonella scare
Bleeding Espresso » what’s cooking wednesday: fried eggs with red onion and cheese on 16 Jul 2008 at 12:07 pm #
[...] So does that mean that I marked the occasion with a triumphant return to the kitchen after weeks of cold salads? [...]
Nate on 17 Jul 2008 at 11:30 pm #
Our tomatoes won’t ripen until next month but I’m looking forward to making lots of caprese salads. Hopefully our basil won’t all bolt and die off by then.
What is the best olive oil to use?
Nate’s last blog post..Lichee – It’s (in) My Cup of Tea…PLUS Free Giveaway
Hi Nate, this is going to sound like a cop out, but I honestly don’t know what the best brand of olive oil would be as we only use local oil here, but generally extra virgin is what you’re looking for. I seem to recall liking Carapelli and Bertolli when I was in the States….
I sure hope your basil makes it too!