caprese madness!
Hello friends!
How is everybody doing? It has been a rough one, no? There's SO much. It's... a lot. Yet. We are still here! We're gonna get through this together. I promise!
Today I had the amazing opportunity to take part in The Fox Festival! Due to the year 2020 being what it is, the event is taking place completely online. It's a super rad event bringing together creatives from all different disciplines to share, learn, and celebrate together during this wild and difficult time. I'm so grateful I had the chance to join in and share my work along side so many fabulous creators!
So! On that note, here is the dish I shared during my Fox Fest livestream!
Every time late summer comes around I go CRAAAAZY for tomatoes! I hoard them in droves and consume them with wild, messy abandon. I stock up on insane amounts of mozzarella and down plate after plate (after plate, after plate) of CAPRESE! The basic elements are tomato, basil, mozz, and olive oil. Salt and pepper. Boom. That's all you need, and any combination of those things is so delicious you really don't need a recipe. RECIPE OVER!
Lol. Don't worry, I will give you a little more guidance. Of course I'm me, and I like to make it interesting and play around. I've tried many different riffs on this general structure and this year I found myself heavily inspired by Melissa Clark's version from Dinner: Changing The Game. So def go check that out if you get a chance, everything Miss Clark does is fantastic!
But I digress (as is my wont). Now, without any further, further adieu, here is the basic non-recipe recipe for the caprese I shared in The Fox Festival!
Formula for a Caprese
Start with a handful of tomatoes (in various shapes, sizes, and colors if you like), wedged or sliced however you like. Scatter about your plate.
Add a ripe nectarine (or peach!), sliced how you like and scattered over and around the tomatoes.
Take a couple slices of prosciutto (or favorite Italian cured meat), tear into pieces and tuck them in between the tomatoes and nectarine.
Take a big hunk of fresh mozz, or some of the small mini balls, or the presliced log, or.... whatever ya got! Crumble and tear it over the plate.
Grab a tasty extra virgin olive oil. Add a finger or two to jar or small bowl.
Grab a handful of fresh basil. Stack into a pile and slice thinly with a knife, or use kitchen scissors to slice it directly into the olive oil. Or just go crazy and tear a bunch of leaves into the oil willy nilly!
Take a lemon, slice off a big ol' chunk and squeeze it into the olive oil. Add a big pinch of salt or two! Give it a nice stir.
Spoon your dressing over top of everything on the plate! Don't be shy!
Top with green onion-- I like to use my kitchen scissors to slice them directly onto the plate, but a knife works great, too, just slice on a cutting board and throw them on top!
Add an extra drizzle of your extra virgin olive oil!
Top everything with a grind or two of black pepper and a good sprinkle of salt! Flakey sea salt is nice if you're feeling fancy, or kosher salt, or whatever salt ya got!
BOOM! You're good to go, eat up and enjoy!
Riffs and Remixes
Try adding more seasonal produce: fresh corn cut straight from the cob (no need to cook!), cucumbers, grated raw zucchini, or raw zucchini thinly sliced and marinated briefly in the dressing (just make a bigger batch of dressing). Pretty much any seasonal veg you can eat raw would be beautiful here!
Substitute any ripe seasonal fruit you like! Plums, pitted cherries, figs, blackberries, etc! In winter you can actually skip the tomatoes (winter tomatoes are sad. If you must eat tomatoes in winter, get cherry or grape tomatoes. They will depress you the least) and try the salad with a variety of citrus instead!
For a vegetarian version, skip the prosciutto. If you like, you can add white beans- marinate them ahead of time in olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper (or skip the marinating if you're in a hurry, they will still absorb plenty of flavor). Or marinate them in the dressing (make a bigger batch) and then add to the salad at the same time.
For a vegan version, press the water out of half a block of extra firm tofu, then marinate in the dressing (make a larger batch of dressing). Crumble over the top in place of cheese and proceed!
Try out a different cheese! Feta would be divine here, as would goat cheese. Try any cheese you like, especially a creamy, fresh cheese!
Skip the dressing and tear the basil on top followed by a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper!
Try blitzing the dressing in a blender for a smoother texture! It's nice if you still leave it a little chunky.
Swap out the basil for another tender herb, or use a combo of herbs! Mint, cilantro, parsley, or tarragon would be lovely, or pretty much any combination of the above. You can also add thyme or oregano to the dressing! Try topping the plate with more fresh herbs!
Try out this dill dressing!
Add red pepper flakes for a kick! Or pick a favorite spice and sprinkle a little over the plate. Coriander, sumac, or maybe a nice spice mix like za'atar would be wonderful!
Try topping with toasted slivered or chopped almonds or your favorite nut or seed! Or maybe some nice bread torn into chunks and briefly toasted in a pan with olive oil then seasoned with salt and pepper. Boom, fresh croutons!
Add a spicy green such as arugula— or put the whole thing on top of a big ol’ bed of lettuce or salad greens of your choice (I like a mixture of greens with various textures and flavors)! This makes it into more of a meal, perfect as a side or a beautiful lunch to share!
Serve with baguette or bread of your choice alongside to sop up the delicious juices!
Is there a possible riff that I didn't think of? Don't forget you can always put an egg on it! But seriously a nice jammy or hard boiled egg quartered lengthwise or sliced.... might be nice! Keep scrolling for more caprese inspiration! (pssst also check this out!)
Try this at home! Let me know how it came out, if you riffed, how you made it your own! Tag me in your pics @dinneratmidnite and use my salad hashtag #saladatmidnite!
Huge thank you to The Fox Festival for featuring me in your incredible line up!
As always, stay in touch and I can't wait to see what you get up to in the kitchen!
Love and tomatoes,
Zoe Rose!
Burrata, blitzed dressing, salami, cucumber!
Nik Sharna’s caprese from Season! Featuring a delicious tangy tamarind dressing!
Tiny mozz, blitzed dressing, extra basil on top!
Melissa Clark’s caprese from Dinner: Changing the Game!
The first of the season! On a bed of lettuce!
