Hey, welcome back!
It’s been raining for the past several days. I haven’t seen rain like this here in quite some time. Don’t get me wrong, this is by no means a lot of rain. Right now I’m spending my week in Utah (in the USA) visiting friends and family. They’re an energetic lot, but this crazy weather is… well… bizarre. If you don’t know, Utah is a desert. So any rain is a bit unusual. Now, it’s not a desert like the Sahara or Mojave but it is a desert. What’s really mind-boggling is the idea that people come from all over the world to go skiing in Utah. (Honestly, I’ve never been on slopes quite like those in Utah. You have excellent powder for all your runs!)
This morning, as I was walking in the rain, I thought of a friend of mine who lives in Bolzano, Italy. One of the first times I met him, we had a salad. Do you see where I’m going with this? I thought, “Hey, Tyler. Why don’t you make some sort of Italian tribute to kick off #ItalianApril?” A few moments later, I agreed with myself. “Yes, Tyler. You, sir, are brilliant as always.” And with that, I decided to make a Caprese salad. Yes yes, the wonderfully deliciously simple Caprese salad. The salad that takes almost no time to prepare, and makes you feel awesome when you taste it.
In the spirit of simplicity, let’s get cracking!
Caprese Salad
I’ve had my Caprese salads with balsamic vinegar and/or extra virgin olive oil. Whether or not you choose to go with one or the other, or both, it is entirely up to you. If you prefer a glaze, check out my instructions on how to make your own here. I mention this at first not because it is immediately relevant, but because it came to mind. So I apologize if that threw off your groove 🙂
As I’ve already said several times, Caprese salad is ridiculously simple. I hope you’re ready to make your own! You could literally be eating one in a few minutes!!! First, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 3 large tomatoes
- 250 grams of fresh mozzarella
- 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of fresh basil
- Pinch of salt
- Balsamic glaze or vinegar, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
There are two ways you can make a salad. You can make discs or make cubes. I alternate depending on what I eat the salad with. For instance, if I am going to have pizza, I’ll have the cubes. I mean, pizza is already a disc, why eat it with more?!
Caprese Salad: Disc Version
The process here is pretty simple. Between the two different preparation styles, this is by far the laziest 🙂 Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into slices (discs). Then, all you have to do is alternate layers of mozzarella and tomatoes. Top it off with the basil and add your condiments according to your particular tastes.
Done.
It’s that simple.
Caprese Salad: Cubed Version
The cubed preparation style is a lot more exhausting. And by that, I mean pretty simple. Exhausting in this case is a relative term because “Caprese salad is ridiculously simple” to prepare. Get ready for these steps! It’ll blow your mind!! (Hint of sarcasm)
Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into cubes. Then, all you have to do is alternate layers of mozzarella and tomatoes. Top it off with the basil and add your condiments according to your particular tastes.
Done.
There you have it.
In fact, the only time it gets remotely difficult to make your own Caprese salad is when you have to make your own balsamic glaze. And that isn’t too bad either. If you only have balsamic vinegar and not a glaze you can quickly make one! It’ll only take about 20 minutes! To break it down into one step, you heat it until it thickens. But if you want more info check out my detailed instructions here.
Well, that’s that. Let me know what you think!!
Ciao!!! Alla prossima!!
