Caprese Salad

Ingredients for this simple salad are critical, as there are so few of them. Use the best olive oil, cheese and juiciest tomatoes you can find.

Ingredients:

• 3 small brown tomatoes (sold at Trader Joes) or two heirloom tomatoes

• 2 burrata or fresh mozzarella balls, about 1 pound, usually sold in a pint container packed in water.

• olive oil

• red wine vinegar

• crushed oregano

• salt and pepper ( I use Morton’s Kosher salt. If you use Diamond salt, you might need to double the amount)

Preparation:

Slice the tomatoes and plate them around a large platter.

Salt and pepper the tomatoes while they are alone on the plate.

Sprinkle a little red wine vinegar, 1 -2 tbl over the tomatoes. This gives the salad just the right amount of acidity.

Tear the cheese into pieces and place decoratively around the tomatoes trying to ensure there is a good ratio of cheese and tomato.

Salt and pepper the cheese, as the fresh cheese has no seasoning.

Drizzle olive oil over everything, making sure all the tomatoes and cheese get their fair share.

Note: Be generous with the few ingredients you use. Getting a caprese salad, drizzled with a scant amount of olive oil feels like a cheat.

Place julienned basil, or small basil leaves over the cheese and tomatoes.

Sprinkle some crushed oregano over the platter.

Serve with toasted bread and be sure to use it to grab all the wonderful oil and vinegar.