California Caprese Salad

I will never forget the first time I had a real Insalata Caprese in Rome.  It changed the way I thought about food forever.

 

A classic Caprese Salad is one of my favorite examples of the ingenious use of seasonal ingredients found in Italian cuisine.  With 4 key components (tomato, basil, FRESH mozzarella and the best quality olive oil you can find), this salad sings.  It is a salad that would never be considered to made out of season -- forget those watery tomatoes you find at your local super-grocer in mid-December, and don't even consider using a shrink-wrapped, processed cheese-log of mozzarella in this recipe.  This is a salad best enjoyed with local, farm stand produce and with FRESH mozzarella cheese found in a pint container (or sometimes plastic bag) that is soaking in water.  It is a salad that highlights the flavors of the ingredients themselves.  It is a dish that just screams SUMMER!

 

This is my own interpretation of an Italian classic.  I call it a California Caprese because all of the ingredients I used come from California.  The olive oil is from Solvang -- wine country a few hours to the north of where I live in San Diego -- and is flavored with Meyer lemons.  The cheese is from Hawthorne, and the produce is all from within a 60 mile radius of my house.  I encourage you to seek out your own local ingredients for this salad.  That's what makes it truly special.

 

 

California Caprese Salad

Serves 4 as an appetizer

3 Heirloom tomatoes, in various colors

1 (8oz) package of FRESH mozzarella (see headnote!)

1 bunch of basil

2 peaches, still somewhat firm

2 ears of corn, briefly roasted in a hot oven  in the husk (450 for 10 minutes should do it), or grilled   over direct, high heat to obtain char-marks without the husk

Good quality sea salt (I used grey sea salt from France), as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Very good olive oil, as needed for drizzling

 

Remove the core of the tomatoes with a paring knife then cut them into 1/4" slices.  Slice mozzarella into similarly sized slices (you will need 1 slice of cheese per tomato slice).  Pick an equal amount of basil leaves from your bunch.  Cut the peaches in half, and twist to separate the halves from the pit; remove the pit.  Cut peach into wedges, again 1 wedge per tomato slice.  Remove kernels of corn from cob and place in a bowl. 

 

Lay the tomato slices out on your cutting board, a large plate or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (just something large enough to accommodate them all).  Season with salt & pepper. 

To assemble the salad, decoratively layer the tomato slices with a piece of cheese, a leaf of basil and a wedge of peach.  Sprinkle with corn kernels and a little additional salt & pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Serve at room temperature by the pool.