My Take on Caprese Salad

I really wanted a salad to go with the mushroom bolognese I made tonight! I didn't want a simple salad, though. We have that all the time! I was craving something a little different, so I decided I'd make a caprese salad as a first course! I had everything I needed, too! Well, I thought.

I had gotten these beautiful large basil leaves in a package (no one around me sells them loose) on Sunday. They were perfect - until I opened the package. Everything under the first four or five leaves were black and the ones on the bottom were growing mold! I was very angry - I'd just bought these yesterday and I needed to make this salad TONIGHT!

What to do? I could have cried - that's been a common response lately! I could have gone to the store (taking what I had bought back) and demanded my money back! But that would accomplish little, since I wouldn't get any of the basil there and the next closest store is a 45 minute round trip! I could have just scraped the salad, but I'd already bought these beautiful tomatoes and some great mozzarella that would have gone to waste!

What did I do? I made a salad with a nod to the caprese salad! I had some romaine lettuce needed for a meal later in the week in the refrigerator (I don't need all of it)! I decided to make a salad dressing that used the basil that was good (washed thoroughly, several times), lemon, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil! Since I would drizzle the balsamic vinegar and EVOO over the caprese salad anyway, I figured this would work well! I also sprinkle salt and pepper over my caprese salad and finish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, so I combined it all! After tasting the dressing, I realized it needed something more, so I added a couple of garlic cloves! Perfect! I poured the dressing over romaine lettuce with quartered cherry tomatoes and cubed mozzarella!

Below is my recipe! It turned out well! I hope that you enjoy this interesting twist next time you don't have the full amount of basil required by a traditional caprese salad!

INGREDIENTS

• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large garlic clove
• salt
• pepper
• handful of basil (6-9 large leaves)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• whole-milk mozzarella, cubed (I use Sorrento)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the basil and place it in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped and combined. Turn the processor on slow speed and pour EVOO slowly into it, until it reaches a dressing-like consistency (this is different for everyone)! 

Wash chopper romaine lettuce and lay out on a platter. Quarter cherry tomatoes and cube mozzarella. Place on top of the lettuce. Slowly pour the dressing over the salad!

Enjoy!