I realised the other day I had not written up Caprese Salad. I have so many recipes to write; I am cooking more but have not had the time to write. I then thought Caprese Salad is such a simple salad; what is there to write. I assume most people know how to make this salad. But I do realise that I have people from around the world reading it and it is not so common in other parts of the world.

This is a really easy recipe, but requires the best tasting tomatoes you can find. I usually make this in the summer when there is plenty of good tomatoes and fresh basil. Today, I have used heirloom tomatoes from my garden. But any vine ripened tomatoes will do. You need a few basic ingredients for this dish- tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, good extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar(optional), salt and pepper.

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Slice 3 tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Slice about a pound of mozzarella into 1/4 inch thick slices. You will need about 15 basil leaves. Layer alternating slices of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on a shallow plate. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar if using and season with salt and pepper.

Sometimes I use seasoned olive oil like cayenne for an extra kick. You can also dice tomatoes into smaller pieces if using smaller mozzarella balls and serve in a bowl.

It is a perfect salad for a hot summer day.

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