Summer is fleeting by and I couldn’t let it go without paying homage to all the beautiful tomatoes I’ve enjoyed all season long. Summer tomatoes are the absolute best, there’s nothing like the taste of a fresh vine ripened tomato.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many sweet as sugar, clustered tomatoes on the vine that have graced my table, I can’t resist, they’re so gorgeous!
Heirloom tomatoes are another big favorite of mine, the different varieties have a history that has been passed down through several generations. It’s been said that if you’ve never tasted an heirloom tomato, then you’ve never tasted a real tomato, I agree.
I love the odd and quirky shapes they have as well as their colors that range from near black to pink, golden yellow, green and ruby red, and the funny names like mortage lifter and green zebra, I could never get tired of them.
Insalata Caprese, I’ve made it so many times this summer, whenever I had a party, or went to a party or get together I usually brought a big platter full. It was always welcomed and gobbled up. Who doesn’t like juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, garden basil and good olive oil, it’s a win, win combination!
Caprese Salads really don’t need a recipe, they’re so simple to make and requires just a few quality ingredients, you must have beautiful ripe tomatoes, the best olive oil you can buy and fresh basil that you picked preferably from your own pots.
The only thing is, you might want to change up the variety and color of tomatoes and the cheese you’ll be using, in my case it’s straight up fresh mozzarella or burrata.
Let’s talk burrata cheese for a minute, the outer shell is solid mozzarella but then when you break it open the inside is filled with soft stracciatella and cream, when paired with summer tomatoes it is a dream come true!
Sometimes I replace fresh basil with my homemade basil pesto which I also make each summer, dabbing it all around on top of the cheese and tomatoes for a flavor that will zap your senses.
When I want to indulge even more I’ll finish off my caprese salad with a swipe of rich balsamic glaze, you can just put me in a corner some where with a hunk of bread and I’ll be very happy.
I like changing up how I serve my summer tomatoes by either fanning them onto a platter or stacking the slices on top of each other as a little different presentation, as well cutting them into wedges and changing up the cheese into little balls of mozzarella, better known as bocconcini.
No matter how it’s presented on a plate you can’t deny the caprese flavors that shine through and through, in my opinion it’s one of the best things about summer.
Cherry tomatoes are fabulous fresh but their flavors are even more intense when roasted. I normally douse them with olive oil and sprinkle shaved fresh garlic all around and adding fresh basil at the end.
The blistered tomatoes create the most fabulous juice that becomes the perfect sauce to toss into cooked pasta, I’ve done this many times for family parties.
You can go one step further with that pasta and finish it off by placing some creamy burrata on top, this is an absolute summer favorite in my house and such a great dish for entertaining.
No cheese, no problem, just toss those juicy tomatoes in and eat!
I will miss the perfection of the summer tomato and look forward to next year when they appear again, so on to the next season of apples and pumpkins!
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