Rebeccas Table Caprese Salad Recipes

CLASSIC CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• While mozzarella is cold, slice it into 1/4-inch slices. Let it sit, loosely covered, to come to room temperature while you prepare the tomatoes.
• Slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick slices, leaving them in a single layer on the cutting board as you go. Sprinkle generously with salt.
• On a serving platter, arrange the mozzarella, tomato slices, and whole basil leaves so they overlap slightly. Pour any tomato juices from the cutting board over the dish. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper, and drizzle with plenty of oil. Top with reserved basil, and serve.

REBECCA'S TABLE CAPRESE SALAD

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE PESTO VINAIGRETTE: In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the pine nuts and stir until they turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. (Don't leave them unattended, they burn easily.) Remove from the heat and let the nuts cool. Place the garlic and 1/4 cup of the toasted nuts in the jar of a blender or work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process at medium speed until combined. Add the basil, salt, and 1/2 cup of the olive oil, and blend for a few minutes until the basil is thoroughly pureed. Add the lemon juice and the remainder of the olive oil and pulse a few times, just until combined. Set aside.
• TO COMPOSE THE SALAD: Using a large platter, make a generous bed of arugula in the center, and arrange a line of overlapping mozzarella slices on top of the greens. Arrange overlapping slices of tomatoes on 1 side of the mozzarella and a mound of the halved cherry tomatoes on the other side. Decorate the mozzarella with a generous drizzle of the vinaigrette and pour the rest into a pitcher for serving on the side. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of pine nuts on top of the dressed salad just before serving.
• Whether serving sliced fresh tomatoes as part of a salad or eating them solo in their natural glory, I always sprinkle them lightly with salt to bring out their flavor.