I had the privilege of experiencing some of the most amazing food and local fresh produce on my recent trip to Europe. One of my most memorable meals was ironically one of the simplest.
While exploring a little town on Lake Como, Mike and I decided to grab a quick lunch at this quaint, unassuming little restaurant before catching a ferry back to our hotel on the other side of the lake. I wasn’t expecting my meal to be anything special, but boy was I in for a surprise. Shortly after ordering, the waiter arrived with the most beautiful caprese salad, layered with perfectly sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, finely chopped basil, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. It was utter perfection!
Here, my friends, is my recipe for the perfect caprese salad. It is so simple anyone could make it. You could serve it as a BBQ salad, a dinner side, or as a light lunch on its own with some crusty bread or hearty crackers.
The freshness of the produce makes all the difference in this salad. As there are only three key ingredients, you want them to be of the highest quality. Unfortunately, Australian tomatoes may not be as intense in flavor as Italian tomatoes (why is that?!), so why not try truss, home-grown, or organic tomatoes to ensure a fuller flavour. I also like to use buffalo milk mozzarella, as it gives a smoother, milkier flavor and texture.
Sometimes simple is best and this salad is a testament to that.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
GF, VEG 
15 mins 
4 - 6 - 250g of buffalo mozzarella
- 3 medium truss tomatoes
- 200g of mixed tomatoes
(grape, yellow, black) - A small bunch of fresh basil
- Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
Method
- Slice the medium truss tomatoes and place them on a serving plate.
- Next, chop the small mixed tomatoes in half (I like to mix it up length ways and across ways) and add them around the medium tomatoes.
- Tear up the lovely buffalo mozzarella and place it over the tomatoes.
- Pick the basil leaves off their stems and scatter them over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Finally, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper.
- Serve with crusty bread or some crackers (also perfect served as a side dish or side salad).
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