Caprese TOmato Towers

By minicoopercraig

The classic tomato salad from Capri, Italy, is a study in simplicity: sweet, acidic tomatoes contrasted with creamy mozzarella slabs and the bright herbal bite of fresh basil. Why pay good money for such a simple pleasure you can make yourself only to let a restaurant screw it up with cheap parlor tricks? Make this one of your go-to summer salads.

Ingredients

• 4 medium tomatoes (preferably different color heirloom tomatoes)
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella
• 16 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Slice the tomatoes into thick slices (each tomato should yield 4 or 5 slices). Slice the cheese into slightly thinner disks. There should be an equal number of tomato and cheese slices.
Place a tomato in the center of small salad plate. Top with a mozzarella slice and a single basil leaf. Repeat until you've used up a quarter of the tomatoes, cheese, and basil (If you really want to nail this, salt and pepper each individual layer). If using different color tomatoes, alternate the slices throughout. Repeat with the rest of the tomatoes, cheese and basil, making 4 towers in all. Drizzle each tower with a bit of olive oil and balsamic and season again with salt and pepper.