Caprese Salad

I get a little giddy every time tomato season hits. During most of the year, tomatoes still remain a staple of my everyday cooking but I look at them with less of a loving eye. They don't come close to what what they taste like at this time of year and often feel bland and uninteresting. Plump, heirloom tomatoes at their peak are a whole different story - they can happily be enjoyed .with a simple drizzle of good olive oil, some fleur de sel and a few speckles of cracked black pepper only, and I often just snack on them with a few speckles of salt.

During the wintertime, produce has to be cajoled a little more to be turned into a warm, comforting meal - but we have it easy when tomatoes taste this good. They are the undeniable star of the show. This simple salad - my all-time favourite - is made nestling milky buffalo mozarella with thin, meaty tomato slices. These gorgeous, uneven gems were purchased from the farmers' market a Liberty Village and surely didn't disappoint. I added some fresh basil leaves (picked from our very own urban garden/balcony!) and a few salty, cured olives. I really can't think of a better summer lunch and I know I will be eying this photo with envy in a few weeks from now.

Caprese Salad
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1/2 buffalo mozarella ball, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tbsp olives
A small handful of fresh basil leaves

Arrange the tomatoes and mozarella in a platter. Season with oil, salt and pepper. Garnish with olives and basil.Enjoy!