Caprese salad

Let me unequivocally state: nothing signifies summer more than an abundance of ripe tomatoes of every color, shape and size. My dish of choice is the caprese salad, originally from Capri, which I'll eat easily 20-30 times over the summer. It fundamentally consists of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and salt + pepper. It's an explosion of tangy, sweet, acidic, spicy, rich and fresh tastes. It sounds simple and it is. But it does not have to be (yes, you read that right). Like any fresh dish, the ingredients really matter, and here things get not so simple, if you want to do it right.

I first had this dish in Italy, appropriately about 6 years ago. It made quite an impression, largely due to the cheese. It's funny that it was a such a novelty to me then, but now I seem to see it on most menus at Italian restaurants, so it's hard to imagine anybody not knowing about this.

Tomatoes: there is sooo much that can be discussed, that it will have to be a future column. But let's start with the basics. Start with a home grown or non-hothouse tomato. Farmers markets or produce markets are your best bet. (Of course growing your own is the best, if that possible.) There are many hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, so experiment with tomatoes to see which ones you like. For this salad, I like tomatoes that are sweet but still have some acidity and flavor. My choices (partly because I am growing these) are the ever present Early Girl, the late ripening scarred Brandywine and cherry tomatoes, particularly the yellow varieties such as Sun Golds. I also like the tangyness of the golf ball sized Green Zebras. I have not found a large green, orange or yellow tomato that I like; they look nice but have minimal taste, so I skip these.

If you must buy bulk tomatoes, say from Costco, buy the large golf ball sized reds that still come on the vine, in bunches of six or so. These will do in an emergency.

Under no circumstances use a Roma or plum tomato, which are flavor challenged. I hypothesize that Romas were bred solely because the tomato is so physically robust that it can ripen and still be transported without breaking.

Mozzarella: It has to be fresh mozzarella, meaning it has a pure white color with a wet clay consistency and is packed in salt water. It cannot be the ubiquitous dried rubbery ball that you slice up and typically put on pizza. During the summer and fall months, Costco sells fresh cows milk mozzarella in 3 packs each slightly smaller than a baseball for $5-6 total, which is my first choice. Good fresh mozzarella will have a nice creamy texture and flavor. I don't buy little fresh balls in a seasoned olive oil, as you're paying for seasoned oil and the cheese isn't as good.

Even among fresh mozzarella, there is a difference between hand made and machine made. Hand made will be softer and creamier, and if only a few days old will be fairly liquidy on the inside. After you cut a ball in half, it will start to ooze out. Machine made cheeses have been handled more roughly and are stiffer, so there will be none of the desired oozing.

But the real deal, if you can find it is fresh water buffalo's milk mozzarella, know as di bufala. This was the cheese I fell in love with in Italy. I has a tangy, salty flavor the cows milk is missing. I hunt for this throughout the year. Costco has been know to occasionally carry it. I probably saw it a total of 6 times over the last 3 years.

So imagine my surprise to see it, and a very good di bufala product at that, at my local Costco about a month ago. And my wife casually says, "Oh, yeah, they've been carrying that for a little while now." Argh, she can be so annoying at times... The good news is that I've seen di bufala in many different Costcos since June 2007. It sells out but they seem to have more coming in each week.

Olive Oil: Use the best oil you can afford. Of course it has to be extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). If you were considering otherwise, please stop reading and never visit this or any other food blog again.

I've done olive oil tastings and I have a hard time discerning among good EVOOs. Given the large range in cost, say between $3 to $25 for 12 oz for EVOO, I aim for the low end of that range around $5-7. My favorite EVOOs are from Trader Joes, since they have a good selection of inexpensive choices. I like the Greek Kalamata oil. But my current favorite is the Italian Monte Pollino at $6.

I personally avoid the Bertolli EVOO found in Costco or elsewhere, as it is just everywhere. My snobby side, says it just can't be that good, especially since they make many lower grades of of olive oil. And make sure the EVOO you buy has a "use by" date on it. Reputable makers give EVOO roughly a year to 18 months from pressing for the best taste.

Basil: Fresh leaves, ideally just picked off a live plant. Otherwise, fresh leaves from a plant that was cut down today.

Many places sell a live plant for $4-8. The secret to growing basil in the summer is (1) keep it in the shade, which keeps the leaves much younger and more tender and (2) pluck off any white flowers once you see them. The plant wants to reproduce and once it has done so, turns much tougher. The early spring growth is the best and by keeping the plant cooler in the shade, and somewhat well watered, the plant keeps its spring feel.

So we've come to the end of the not-so-simple caprese salad. Almost. There are many variations on the salad and eating options, such as

• use a bit of good balsamic vinegar. I used to do this until a year ago, when I had it without balsamic at a restaurant. Balsamic adds a nice taste but tends to over power the salad. Now, 80% of the time it is just EVOO and 20% I add balsamic too. Your call and apparently this is subject to debate. I
  
• have it with a nice crusty bread. Near the end of a large salad, there is often a good bit of tomato juice, EVOO, possibly balsamic, which is a wonderful bread dip.
• add some minced garlic or chopped capers, freshly grated parmesan, or perhaps some fresh unsalted anchovies. I don't do this but it's your salad and you can ruin it however you wish.
• add some minced fresh herbs such as oregano or well ... actually, that's the only one I can recommend.
  

Caprese Salad

Tomatoes, preferably home grown or heirloom
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
2-6 basil leaves

Slice the mozzarella thinly (slightly thinner than the tomato slices) and arrange. Drizzle EVOO over each layer of cheese, if desired, to prevent it from sticking to each other.
Slice larger tomatoes into (large) bite-sized slices. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Place over the cheese. Salt and pepper as desired. Wash and dry basil and then slice into wispy strands and sprinkle over the tomatoes.

Eat with toasted bread or with a spoon.