"Meh" is about the only word I can think of to describe my feelings about eating out lately. When the bounty of summer threatens to overwhelm my refrigerator it seems criminally wasteful to let so much good food go to waste.
Well-meaning friends overwhelm my cupboards with figs, zucchini and tomatoes. A former PD employee brings overflowing baskets of organic veggies and flowers to the office each week and despite sitting at my computer munching on cherry tomatoes all day, my kitchen still runneth over!
Necessity being the mother of convection, I roasted a big batch of tomatoes, garlic and rosemary to make gads of bright sauce for the cold months ahead. But for lunch, it has to be a daily dose of Insalata Caprese. It's so ridiculously simple: fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and pepper.
But it can go horribly wrong in so many ways. Here's the lowdown on where to get the absolute best ingredients for this perfect end-of-summer summer salad. Eat it now, dream of it later...because it won't taste half as good next month.
- Heirloom tomatoes: They're everywhere, but I've found few as good (except straight from the garden) as Soda Rock Farm's. You can get the red variety at G&G, Pacific Market and Big John's. They sell the heirlooms at the Healdsburg, Windsor and Petaluma Farm Markets.
- Fresh mozzarella: I've spent years searching out the perfect ball. I think I've found one that comes as close at Oliver's Market. Look for the large balls in water. They're from Grande cheese in Wisconsin and have the perfect combination of salt and creaminess.
- Sononomic Vinegar: Okay, this stuff is like crack. It's as sweet (maybe sweeter) than the best aged balsamic but a whole lot cheaper. You can get it from Sonoma Portworks for $18. Drizzle it over salad, strawberries or even ice cream. You'll die.
- Herbes de Provence: Salt, pepper, a little lavender. It's heaven.
- Basil: Get the freshest you can find and taste it first. Often older basil is a bit heavy on the anise-flavor and overwhelms everything.
Yes, I know. Shut up and get back to the restaurants already. But seriously, one bite of this and you'll know why I've been off my game lately.
PS. Want something sweet for dessert? I've recently been all over Bodega Goat Cheese Natilla. It's a combination of goat's milk, sugar and molasses that comes together in a creamy paste you'll be sticking your fingers into all night long. (Available at Oliver's)
Comments | Add Comment
Posted By: MsSteak (20/09/2008 11:45:01 AM)
Comment: Be on the lookout for: "Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt". It can be found at most higher end grocery stores.It does NOT have a hefty price tag either! It is the summer tomatoes best friend! JMO
Posted By: Mrs. Ansley (18/09/2008 9:07:30 AM)
Comment: I LOVE ensalata caprese and I make it all the time!!! It's a staple in our house. However, I recently discovered a DELICIOUS twist to it when I had dinner at HBG last week. They have an heirloom tomato salad that had fresh figs, a few ribbons of basil, and some feta. Of course it had some super fresh sea salt and fresh ground pepper and some beautiful olive oil and balsalmic drizzled on top... it was absolutely to die for. I immediately went to Oliver's the next day and stocked up on heirlooms, figs, and basil and have been making it every day since. I forgot feta though, so I have been substituting with crumbles of goat cheese and it's delicious. Just something new to try!
BTW can't WAIT to try thise Natilla stuff and the new balsalmic. Yay!
Posted By: caprese-like fiend (15/09/2008 4:30:41 PM)
Comment: Once we started using buffalo milk mozzarella in our salads, we can't go back to cows-milk mozzarella: with the exception of the lovely housemade mozz from Cafe Citti in Kenwood, which is delicious, if a bit out of the way!
Posted By: Ray Stawiarski (15/09/2008 12:34:15 PM)
Comment: This salad is the primary reason I garden. I have 23 tomato plants of 8 different varieties. I also have 6 basil plants. I like your recipe but we still drizzle olive oil. We also use black LAVA salt from Hawaii...very crunchy and the black color stands out.
I also recomend making this exact salad, but replace tomatoes with grilled peaches that have been chilled.....EXCEPTIONAL!
Posted By: Shannon G. (15/09/2008 10:44:17 AM)
Comment: This is practically a staple in our house. When good tomatoes can be found of course.
But true Insalata Caprese will have a good olive oil drizzled on it and absolutely no vinegar. I always put a good balsamic vinegar on mine, but I was schooled by a former co-worker from Italy who told me it's 'technically not correct.' ;)
Posted By: Kate Polacci (14/09/2008 1:22:53 PM)
Comment: By the way. . . I just looked up Sonoma Portworks online, and got Sonoma Valley Portworks in Petaluma. Looks like they only sell port wines and grappa. Is this where you got the balsamic vinegar? Just curious. It sounds so good. . .
Posted By: Kate Polacci (14/09/2008 1:22:46 PM)
Comment: By the way. . . I just looked up Sonoma Portworks online, and got Sonoma Valley Portworks in Petaluma. Looks like they only sell port wines and grappa. Is this where you got the balsamic vinegar? Just curious. It sounds so good. . .
Posted By: Kate Polacci (14/09/2008 1:22:39 PM)
Comment: By the way. . . I just looked up Sonoma Portworks online, and got Sonoma Valley Portworks in Petaluma. Looks like they only sell port wines and grappa. Is this where you got the balsamic vinegar? Just curious. It sounds so good. . .
Posted By: Kate Polacci (14/09/2008 1:14:01 PM)
Comment: I am making it my mission today to experience this. And I agree, that Bodgea Goat Cheese Natilla is AMAZING. I bought some at the Sebastopol Farmer's Market, and couldn't stop dipping apples in it til it was gone.
Posted By: StraightShot (14/09/2008 9:37:27 AM)
Comment: That's the Sononomic Vinegar mentioned in the article.
Posted By: urs (13/09/2008 12:37:03 PM)
Comment: What are those black things in the picture? Kalamata olives?
Posted By: KitKat (13/09/2008 12:20:58 AM)
Comment: You can also get Natilla at the Sebastopol Farmer's Market on Sundays...when the Bodega Goat Cheese cheesepimps...I mean, makers are there. :P It's completely amazing on its own, but also warmed up a bit to make it syrupy and drizzled over crisp apple slices with a little cheese, or pear slices.
Posted By: Pendolino (12/09/2008 7:11:04 PM)
Comment: A couple of comments about your description of the insalta caprese: the sliced tomatoes should be sprinkled with a little salt about 10 to 15 minutes before serving to draw out the juices, then drizzled with some of the best olive oil that you can find. You should then soak up the combination of juices and oil with pieces of french bread. With all due respect, given your description, I am not sure you have completely enjoyed this most simple, yet satisfying of Italian dishes.
Posted By: ana (12/09/2008 5:08:09 PM)
Comment: if u want fresh mozzarella go to TraVigne.. they have the best I've ever tasted in my life.
Posted By: Noah (12/09/2008 3:52:32 PM)
Comment: No olive oil up in that Caprese? What's THAT about?
Response: Yeah, I know. I just feel like it makes the whole thing oily for no reason. Convince me otherwise.
Posted By: NorCal Foodie (12/09/2008 3:04:45 PM)
Comment: So you have discovered Natilla, which, Daniel and Javier tell me, is a Peruvian version of cajeta (goat milk caramel) made by their father, sho used to come into my cheese counter every weeks looking for "his" cheese and to make sure we always had it in stock. It is insanely good on fig and prosciutto pizza (I featured the receipe on my blog and in the Mendo-Lake Exchange last mont). In case your readers don't know, Bodega and Yerba Santa are both produced on the Yerba Santa farm on the border of Lake and Mendocino Counties. Nothing like local treats to put a smile on our faces as the seasons begin to change!
Response: Yeah, I actually first tried it during the Artisan Cheese Festival a year or so ago and promptly forgot about it. I picked up a container this week...OMG. Thanks for the description, which is much better than mine. Putting it on pizza? Insane yum. Here's the link to NorCal's recipe: http://www.assaggiare.com/blog/
Posted By: kudzu (12/09/2008 2:38:23 PM)
Comment: Agreed: Natilla is one of those discoveries you are SO glad happened to you! Hurrah for the Bodega Goat folks.
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