Beet Caprese
Though it’s a classic, insalata caprese — tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad — can get a bit tired. So can tomatoes. Sure, they’re at their peak now (I confess that we’ve been gorging on heirloom tomatoes here — especially with a $2.99/lb price tag!). But, anything in excess eventually becomes pedestrian and more difficult to appreciate.
That’s why I’ve been shaking up my insalata caprese by substituting roasted beets for the tomatoes. The resulting dish — a bit of a gateway to cooler weather — is sweeter, plus even more vibrantly-colored and gorgeous than the original. Not to mention that it’s very kid-friendly.
To make the salad, just trim and wrap in foil a mixture of golden and red beets. Then roast in a 400-degree oven until cooked, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or use golden beets only to reduce the mess). Then, let cool a bit, peel, and slice.
On a large white platter, intersperse the beet slices with slices of fresh mozzarella (that’s been blotted dry) and fresh basil leaves (that have been washed and dried between paper towels). Sprinkle the gorgeous combo with sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and drizzle on some high-quality extra virgin olive oil. I love to put out a small bowl or bottle of balsamic vinegar on the side for drizzling.
In some ways, I prefer this modified salad to the original. I’d love to hear what you think.
