CAPRESE SALAD

Quality ingredients make all the difference in a dish. And the better the ingredients, the less you have to fuss with them. Take a classic dish like Caprese Salad. It’s simple—fresh slices of tomato, fresh slices of mozzarella, some basil, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Easy peasy, right? But think about the difference in flavor between a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato from your local farm or your own garden versus the Stop and Shop flavorless beef tomato. And Polly-O Mozzarella is no substitute for the made fresh that day mozzarella from Russo’s on Seventh Avenue in Brooklyn or your local Italian grocery. A lovely single origin olive oil from Tuscany and an aged Modena balsamic vinegar is sure to beat out the ones on sale from Piggly Wiggly. Garnish with freshly ground peppercorns and some flaky fleur del sel and your dish will be restaurant quality.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

1 handful mixed greens

½ large heirloom tomato, thick sliced

1 burrata

5 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Basil leaves, picked off stems

Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Place greens on bottom of bowl or plate. Spread out tomato slices. Place burrata in center and gently slice it open so the cheese oozes out. Place the cherry tomatoes and basil around the burrata. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with salt and pepper.