Caprese Salad

I recently wrote about making BLTs with garden fresh tomatoes. The other main thing we use our homegrown tomatoes for is caprese salad. Even before we started making BLTs, it was this dish that started converting this tomato skeptic to a regular consumer. To me, caprese salad is emblematic of Italian cuisine in that the preparation is simple and focuses on the quality of ingredients. It's a dish I've been aware of for a long time, but there are a lot of subpar examples out there, and I wouldn't have considered myself a fan until I started making it at home.

The tomatoes are, of course, what makes or breaks a caprese salad. These are more of our homegrown Mortgage Lifters. In the past, I've also had success with using tomatoes from the farm shares we had the past two summers. With the ongoing pandemic, we decided to forgo farm shares this year and just use our own tomatoes. Whatever the tomatoes, it is essential to season them with salt and pepper. The basil is also from the garden. I've always had success with growing basil, but it's important to remember to harvest before the first frost. The only aspect of the salad we've yet to upgrade is the mozzarella. Around here, we can only get BelGioioso in a plastic tube. It's okay, but a bit lacking in flavor. Use the best you can get.

Ingredients

• Slicer tomatoes (homegrown are best)
• Fresh mozzarella
• Basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Slice the tomatoes horizontally (if placed stem side up), as this allows them to hold their structure better. Use a very sharp chef's knife or a serrated bread knife. Arrange on the tomato slices on a plate. Tear up the mozzarella into small pieces and place in the gaps between tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves in half and arrange them around the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil all over. Season liberally with kosher salt and black pepper.