One of my favorite summertime lunches is a crunchy and flavorful twist on Insalata Caprese. I only wish I'd taken a photo before I devoured most it just now :(Ingredients:
1 Roma Tomato
1 Cucumber
1 Mozzarella Ball
1 Red Onion
Fresh Basil Leaves
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Slice your tomato (I usually get about 4-6 slices depending on the thickness), cucumber, and mozzarella. The onion I usually cut as thinly as possible which turns out to be more like red onion shavings.
The original recipe (which if I recall correctly I tore out of a salad dressing ad in Sunset Magazine) says to stack slices in this order: tomato, mozzarella, onion, cucumber, tomato then top with a basil LEAF and the salad dressing they were advertising.
However, I recommend: cucumber slice on the bottom (to give it a solid base) followed by a slice of mozzarella, red onion shavings, and then the tomato. I top with shredded basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste before drizzling olive oil and balsamic vinegar atop everything. In my opinion, putting the tomato on top and shredding the basil leaves allows the oil and vinegar to seep into the dish. With the full basil leaf on top, the oil and vinegar was just running off down the sides.
For lunch I enjoy this dish with a baguette and salami. This dish alone also makes a great appetizer to any Italian dinner and can easily be adjusted to accommodate any number of dinner guests. Buon Appetito!
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