Sunday Brunch - {caprese salad}

On a recent trip to the farmers market, I purchased a huge bunch of basil.  I made basil ice cream with it, but I also wanted to try a healthier recipe with it as well (I had a lot of basil).  Last summer, we went to a cookout where our hostess had made a wonderful caprese salad.  Thinking back to that dish, I set out to make something similar.

The recipe is so simple, you actually don't need a "recipe" for it: slice up some tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella cheese and some basil.  Top with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  That's it!  But, I did find a recipe online (here's the link) that looked great, so I followed it.  In this version, you cook down the balsamic vinegar a bit (since I decreased the amount of vinegar I used, I only cooked it for about 5 minutes).  But this step really made the vinegar thicker and more down-to-business.  I found that you really only need a little bit to make a big impact, so drizzle it on sparingly.

There's really something magical about caprese salad.  The simplicity of it, the freshness of it, the way the main components just sing when they're together.  For me, it epitomizes what good food is all about.

-Cheryl