caprese

Unbeatable Italian Favorite

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Unbeatable Italian Favorite! Let’s step away from pizza and pasta a minute to talk about another Italian favorite. Behold, the Caprese Salad. It’s a classic dish from the island of Capri, originating in the 1920s. The presentation is simple yet elegant, so choose your platter wisely. The serving piece should showcase the colorful beauty of the food symbolizing the Italian flag: green, white, and red. Appreciate the heritage, culture, art, and food of Italy. They hold a sense of gratification that is timeless. 

UNBEATABLE ITALIAN FAVORITE 

Ingredients: 

16 ounces ripe Campari tomatoes, sliced

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds

1 bunch fresh basil leaves

3-4 tablespoons balsamic glaze

1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs, dried

Instructions: 

Choose a decorative platter or individual serving pieces. To prepare the base of the salad, arrange sliced Campari tomatoes along with fresh mozzarella slices. Tuck whole fresh basil leaves in between the layers for flavor as well as presentation. Drizzle the tangy balsamic glaze generously over the top of the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with dried Italian herbs. Serve immediately. 

Caprese Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Caprese Salad!  Here’s a refreshingly healthy salad alternative to the traditional Cobb Salad. This little number boasts an international flavor with an Italian influence.  Right now fresh tomatoes-on-the-vine are available at the market. Hand-pick them in any size cluster you desire.  All natural mozzarella makes all the difference, especially when surrounded by this season’s basil leaves. Pluck the basil from your window herb garden or go straight to the organic produce section of your favorite grocers.  As you dive in to this crispy salad, notice the colors of the flag of Italy.  Grazie, grazie molto!

CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients:

4-6 Roma Tomatoes 

16 oz. Marinated Mozzarella*

24 Fresh Basil Leaves

2 T Red Onion, slivered

Herbed Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Wine Vinegar 

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes into wedges.  Add the mozzarella cheese, onion, and basil. Gently toss with drizzled olive oil and vinegar to taste. 

***May Substitute Herbed Goat Cheese. Watch for this recipe in Letter G.

 

Uber Hasselback Caprese Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Food Whisperer: Uber Hasselback Caprese Salad! Want to do something fancy-schmancy? Take ordinary garden Roma tomatoes (the oval kind) and cut them in such a way that they fan out a little bit like an accordion. Then, using your fingers, tuck slices of cheese and fresh herbs in between. It’s so simple, yet looks incredibly delish as a side salad. This is why we like food so much. It becomes a dining experience versus chowing down.

UBER HASSELBACK CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients:

3 Roma tomatoes

3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

13-16 fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon Everything But Bagel seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions:

Judging by the size of each tomato, make 4-5 slices, stopping before the knife cuts completely through. Transfer tomatoes to a serving dish. Fill each slit with a mozzarella slice. Tuck in spaces with fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle Everything But Bagel seasoning over all. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Mini Caprese Skewers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Be Our Guest: Mini Caprese Skewers! Can you tell I’m trying to squeeze as many foods in my picnic basket as possible before Summer ends? For a quick veggie burst of flavor, these off-the-vine cherry tomatoes are a match made in heaven when paired with fresh basil. It doesn’t hurt that the marinated mozzarella balls are skewered together for lovely presentation. It’s all about the finger food.

MINI CAPRESE SKEWERS

Ingredients:

12 mozzarella balls

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon Italian spice blend

24 fresh basil leaves

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

12 black olives, sliced

Olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:

In a shallow bowl, place mozzarella balls. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with Italian spices. Toss cheese to cover well. Beginning with a cherry tomato half, thread tomato on a toothpick or skewer. Then place one basil leaf, followed by a marinated mozzarella ball. Finish with the remaining cherry tomato and another basil leaf. Repeat with remaining cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella balls. Thread black olives on separate skewers. Drizzle olive oil mixture over finished caprese skewers. Transport in jars or covered containers.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Caprese Salad! Here’s a refreshingly healthy salad alternative to the traditional Cobb Salad. This little number boasts an international flavor with an Italian influence. Right now fresh tomatoes-on-the-vine are available at the market. Hand-pick them in any size cluster you desire. All natural mozzarella makes all the difference, especially when surrounded by this season’s basil leaves. Pluck the basil from your window herb garden or go straight to the organic produce section of your favorite grocers. As you dive in to this crispy salad, notice the colors of the flag of Italy. Grazie, grazie molto!
CAPRESE SALAD
Ingredients:

4-6 Roma Tomatoes 

16 oz. Marinated Mozzarella*

24 Fresh Basil Leaves

2 tablespoons Red Onion, slivered

Herbed Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Wine Vinegar 
Directions:

Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Add the mozzarella cheese, onion, and basil. Gently toss with drizzled olive oil and vinegar to taste. 
***May Substitute Herbed Goat Cheese. Watch for this recipe in Letter G.