the best of summer

i love summer. i get to spend endless days, with zero schedule, with my kids doing whatever they want. i love the beach and the smell of the salt air mingled with seaweed and sand. most of all, i love summertime food. i cook according to the seasons, so in the summer, i like to take advantage of tomatoes and avocados and all the fruit i could want. insalata caprese is one of my absolute favorite salads. ever. whenever my husband and i eat out, i always order this salad to see how different chefs have enhanced the simple flavors of ripe tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella, fragrant basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. it's so simple and so delicious- the best of summer. 

i made this as an appetizer for my husband and me, so i used cherry tomatoes and mini bocconcini instead of the traditional buffalo mozzarella. the simplicity of this salad allows the amazing flavor of each ingredient to shine, so make sure you're using the best of everything. 

insalata caprese on garlic sourdough bread

1 box of cherry tomatoes, cut into halves- i used my kitchen shears

an equal amount of mini bocconcini, cut into slices- once again, kitchen shears to the rescue!

5-6 basil leaves, cut chiffonade- learn how to do that here

drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar

sprinkle of ground black pepper

two slices of sourdough bread- or any bread of your choosing. this one is fantastic and so easy!

1 clove of garlic

preheat oven to 375⁰F. place sourdough bread onto a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. once oven is preheated, toast bread until light golden brown. remove from oven and rub garlic clove over the bread. allow to cool.

while the oven is preheating, combine the tomatoes, cheese, and basil in a bowl and refrigerate. 

right before serving, drizzle olive oil and balsamic over the tomatoes and cheese, sprinkle with some ground pepper, and spoon onto toasted garlic sourdough bread. 

see? i told you it was easy. now, mangia!

until next post- maggie