Thursday, September 18, 2014
Caprese Salata
This salad is inspired by my first culinary experience in Europe. I had layover in Switzerland on my way to Greece, and I had some time to kill in the airport. I sat down at a café but wasn't really in the mood for coffee. I was starving and I also wanted to take advantage of my newly acquired drinking opportunities. The bartender didn't speak English so I had to point at what I wanted. I ordered a draft Ittinger bier and a caprese salad. I thought the price of the salad was 8 euros, but it ended up being 18 euros! I said screw it because It was my first meal in Europe and I was starving. I could see the girl preparing my salad, she cut the tomato right there. She drizzled it with olive oil and pesto. The presentation of the salad was perfect. I had to take a picture and put it on instagram :) My first bite of this salad, and I couldn't believe how much different the tomato's tasted than in America. They were so fresh. The olive oil they used was such a good quality it made the salad taste much richer. The arugula was perfect with the tomato and giant ball of fresh mozzarella. The quality of the ingredients in this simple salad are extremely important. Try and find the best quality olive oil you can and try and get the tomatoes from a farm. I spent 25 euros at this café for my beer and salad. This is equal to 32 U.S. dollars. I would've never spent that on a salad and beer anywhere else but I'm glad I did. It translated into a culinary experience that you don't want to miss out on.
Pesto Recipe
2 cups packed fresh basil
1/2 cup packed fresh arugula
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts work too)
2/3 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (evoo)
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Depending on how garlicky you like your pesto, adjust accordingly. If the pesto is too thick you can add a splash of water, or more olive oil.
Caprese Salata Recipe
1 ripe tomato
Baby Arugula
Fresh Mozzarella
Pesto (see recipe above)
EVOO
Sea Salt
Drizzle the bottom of your plate with EVOO. Slice the tomato into thick slices and arrange in a circle on the plate. Put one bunch of arugula on each side of the plate. Slice the ball of fresh mozz into thick slices and place in the middle on the tomato. Drizzle pesto onto the entire salad. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, and drizzle with more EVOO. The presentation of this salad is important because we eat with our eyes. If it doesn't look good, it won't taste as good. Enjoy!
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