Recipe: Caprese Salad*

Thank goodness Maceys is offering their fill-a-bag with produce promotion again, because after all the summer fun, it’s diet time at our house.  Don’t worry, no one will starve, but for the next three months (until Thanksgiving) we are cutting out sugar, cheese, bread products that are not whole grain, and most fats and processed foods.  Garden tomatoes are our mainstay right now, so we’ll be consuming lots of fresh salsa, and today I’m planning to try a big batch of Gazpacho,  which incorporates raw tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, green peppers, celery and garlic into “a tomato-based vegetable soup, traditionally served cold, widely consumed in Spanish cuisine.”   If it turns out well, I’ll share the recipe next week.

I hope everyone isn’t tired of my tomato recipes, but when one eats tomatoes for every meal, including breakfast, new ideas tend to surface.   I have never included a recipe in “Savings for Sisters” that I haven’t tried first myself, but this week I just had to share something from one of my favorite food gurus, Ree Drummond, who has her own cooking show and also authors a blog called, “The Pioneer Woman.”  I have to say that everything Pioneer Woman cooks is fabulous (and incredibly fattening), but this particular recipe, Caprese Salad, is both healthy and so delicious looking that I can’t wait to make it.  I have even purchased my ball of Fresh Mozzarella, which is in my fridge waiting to join my beautiful garden tomatoes and tenderly cared for basil to become the exquisite creation you see in the photo below.  An elegant dish fit for royalty--now if I can just come up with a worthy occasion and some appreciative dinner guests.  It may end up being just me, at lunchtime, home alone on my deck enjoying one of the few last lovely summer days.

• 2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced Thick
• 12 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thick
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions:

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze. Watch it carefully. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.

When you're ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.

End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread. Or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.

*Originally distributed September 2013