Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Backyard Caprese Salad


backyard caprese salad
{A Caprese salad made with local mozzarella and tomatoes and basil from my garden}

Ever since I discovered a local source of mozzarella cheese --via the Blue Ridge Dairy of Sterling, VA-- I've been looking forward to having a Caprese salad with tomatoes and basil from my own garden. I was able to do this just a few days ago for my Southern SOLE Food Local Meal Challenge of the week.

ace55 7-15
The first few tomatoes in my garden ripened last week. I harvested these two Ace55 hybrids...

chocolate cherries 7-15
...and just a handful of Chocolate Cherries. I know it's such a cliche to be a gardener who loves tomatoes, but this is why I started a garden in the first place, to grow my own tomatoes. I get so excited when I see the first tomatoes of the season!

basil with the mortgage lifters
The basil plants are growing in the same huge container with my Mortgage Lifter. To say that this Caprese salad was delicious and fresh just doesn't do it justice.  It was so perfect that I ate half the plate without adding salt, pepper, or olive oil, and I didn't miss or need those ingredients. I did add them to another serving, and I must admit, I wish I hadn't. That's the beauty of using fresh and local ingredients--often you don't need to season food as much or at all.

I think this was supposed to be Fruit Week with my SSFC participants, but I just had to showcase my Caprese salad first. I'll post about my local fruit dish next week. I'm looking forward to more tomatoes and Caprese salads for the rest of summer.

13 comments:

  1. that salad is so beautiful! congratulations on the tomatoes :)

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  2. I love caprese salad. Sometimes, I make a Southwestern version with black beans and red onions.

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  3. Mmmmm...looks very tasty! I'm planning to have BLTs with fresh Tomatoes and Lettuce this week. I can't wait!

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    1. That sounds good too! I love summer time. There's so much to eat and it's all healthy fruits and vegetables so you don't have to feel bad about anything. :)

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  4. Firstly I think being a cliche is under rated - I've been one for years... Secondly as tomatoes are a fruit I reckon you'll be right for your SSFC. Thirdly - aren't pedantic people who right about tomatoes being fruits really annoying and something of a cliche in themselves? Not to mention people who refer to themselves in the 3rd person...

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    1. Liz--haha--no, not annoying because I always say tomatoes are fruit too! Good point, I guess this is my Fruit Post. :)

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  5. Must be frank - I have never heard of Caprese salad but it does look very tasty - well done with the tomatoes - mine are nowhere near ripening yet - you must have the magic touch.

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  6. First I congratulate you on getting the first tomatoes to the table. I tend to eat the first tomatoes right there in the garden after doing a happy dance. Eventually we get some to the table. I love this salad and we are anxiously awaiting our first batch of tomatoes to ripen so we can make our tomato salad with and with out the mozz...if our tomatoes have a good year we tend to eat the salad nightly...

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  7. One of my faves...delish...and even BETTER fresh from the garden!

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  8. Wow angela, your chocolate cherries look so delicious. Does it taste like chocolates too?

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  9. That just screams SUMMER to me. So fresh and delicious

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