The "Caprese" Salad

The "Caprese" is so easy to prepare that you'll wonder why I inserted it in the blog. Indeed, it requires only three basic ingredients: tomato, mozzarella and basil. You can make the caprese salad whenever you find those ingredients, specially if they are seasonal and fresh.

But, if you are lucky enough to go to visit Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, and taste the Caprese salad on site, then you will taste the difference of savor and you will understand why I share the recipe with you. 

In that area there are tomatoes that you won't find anywhere else in the world, they are not perfectly round and they are not bright red, their shape is irregular and their color is soft pink and green. They are not suitable for making tomato sauce, but they are excellent in salads.

Also the mozzarella, that is called “fior di latte” (milk flower) or “treccia” (tress), is daily made in the traditional way by local dairies, and has a special flavor.

Furthermore, if you dress it with the extra virgin olive oil made in Sorrento, and go with the bread made by the local farms, be careful, because maybe you will decide to live there forever!

In fact, in 35 years that I have lived in Sorrento, whenever relatives and friends came to visit me in summer time, I was ready to prepare mouth-watering meals for them, but they warned me that they did not want anything else that the Caprese salad every day, untile the day they left. Thus, we ate Caprese every day, and my sense of guilt (for not having worked in the kitchen at all) disappeared immediately when all the guests were happy to enjoy the fresh salad made with local and genuine products. 

Ingredients

• 3 medium tomatoes, or two big tomatoes;
• 10 Oz (300 gr) mozzarella;
• a handful basil leaves;
• 2 tbp extra virgin olive oil;
• salt;
• oregano (optional). 

Directions

Cut the tomatoes and the mozzarella into slices, and put them in a big plate, then add the basil leaves, the extra virgin olive oil, salt and the oregano. 
Enjoy it!