Caprese Salad

Sure, you may have had a Caprese Salad before. I know it is one of my favorite summer dishes. The flavors of fresh grown tomatoes and basil combined together with the delicate flavor of mozzarella cheese, oil, salt and pepper. Just the thought of it and my mind has traveled to a delightful garden party with friends.  

However, my version has a subtle but delightful  flavor and visual twist to it. Inspired but the colors and flavors of summer I’ve added a hint of crushed freeze-dried blueberries to it.

You almost wouldn’t know what the subtle hint of sweetness was if you weren’t told and it’s fun to see the mozzarella speckled with tints of deep blue color.

So enjoy this new twist on a traditional favorite.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ball Mozzarella Cheese

1-2 Medium-Large tomatoes

Fresh Basil- a few sprigs or to taste

2 TB Freeze-dried Blueberries -crushed

Drizzle of Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

To assemble:

-First place a couple tablespoons of freeze-dried blueberries in a ziplock bag. Either use your fingers or a rolling pin to crush the berries to a fine powder.

-Thinly slice your mozzarella cheese, lay the slices out and sprinkle them with the blueberry powder.

-Slice your tomatoes and basil leaves.

-Layer the tomato, basil and mozzarella. 

-Add salt and pepper to taste and finish by drizzling with olive oil. 

Note this will work best if you prepare it at least a half an hour in advance and let it sit so that the moisture in the cheese and the blueberry powder interact and create stains on the cheese. I like to make it up the night before and cover it with plastic wrap. Then it is ready and waiting to be served when I need it the following day.