The caprese salad is a salad meaning "salad of Capri"...and is a simple Italian salad full of flavor, simplicity, and fun.  It has only three ingredients — fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and fresh tomato, and is super delicious precisely because of it's simplicity.  The caprese salad was also made to look like the Italian flag — with the red, white and green colors.  I love when a recipe is both simple, flavorful, and fun.  This is it!

This salad is such a fun treat, and simple to do.  Make sure to buy the best ingredients. 

Enjoy!

Basil Caprese Cobb Salad
(serves 2)

Ingredients:
• 1 box organic grape tomatoes
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 1 ball fresh Mozzarella cheese
• Organic extra virgin olive oil (6 tablespoons or 1/3 cup)
• Organic balsamic vinegar (3 tablespoons)
• Himalayan sea salt
• Fresh black pepper

1.  Wash grape tomatoes, and pat dry on a paper towel. Chop grape tomatoes in half.  Toss in bowl.
2.  Slice mozzarella cheese in thick 1/2 inch slices. Once all the cheese is sliced, chop each mozzarella slice into long, thin strips that are about a 1/2 inch wide. Once the long, vertical strips are done, with one slice, turn your cheese vertical strips the other way, and chop cheese in 1/2 inch square pieces. Should look like roughly chopped 1/2 inch squares. Toss in bowl.
3.  Separate basil leaves from stems. Chiffonade basil leaves by stacking them up on top of each other, together, and then rolling them in a tight long roll. Chop the basil leaves in a 1/4 inch rough chop. Does not have to be exact. Place in separate bowl.  
4.  Once done with prepping main ingredients, toss tomatoes, cheese, basil into large salad bowl. 
5.  Pour balsamic vinegar into salad bowl.
6.  Pour olive oil into salad bowl.
7.  Season with salt, pepper.
8.  Toss well with salad fork and spoon.
9.  Chill in fridge till ready to serve.  

Options:
• Add cherry tomatoes, heirloom cherry tomatoes, or large tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes.
• Add extra firm tofu instead of mozzarella cheese, for a non-dairy substitution.
• Serve your salad on a pretty platter or pottery bowl for an extra bit of beauty!
• Serve with seed crackers, millet toast, rice toast, or taro chips!

Enjoy!

june 28, 2015 • recipe 7
a recipe by Carol Giardino • all rights reserved