Quite some time ago, an Italian woman scolded me for using a combination of olive oil and vinegar on a sliced summer tomato salad I was making. She stated in no uncertain terms that Italians only dress their tomato salads with olive oil. I heeded her advice and this is how I have been gleefully making my tomato salads ever since. The one variable I’ll employ is sometimes swapping out fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese for stracciatella, runny triple crème cheeses, or creamy blue cheese. Other than that, great summer tomatoes, premium olive oil, fresh basil, and our blend of Fleur de Sel & Kampot Pepper are essential to crafting a memorably fabulous Caprese salad.
3 large ripe summer tomatoes, preferably heirloom varieties in contrasting colors
Small handful of vine-ripened small cherry and/or pear tomatoes
8 to 10 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese
4 to 6 tablespoons top-quality extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de Sel & Kampot Pepper seasoning blend, to taste
6 large fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered, plus sprigs of basil for garnishing
- Core the heirloom tomatoes and cut them into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a slightly overlapping pattern on a decorative serving platter. Cut the smaller tomatoes lengthwise in half and scatter them, cut sides facing down, over the larger sliced tomatoes. Weave the cheese in between the tomatoes and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Season the tomato salad generously to taste with the Fleur de Sel & Kampot Pepper blend and then scatter the slivered basil leaves over everything. Drizzle with a tablespoon or more of the olive oil.
- Garnish the tomato salad platter with sprigs of fresh basil and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 6
