One of the things I love so much about the summer is all of the fresh local vegetables. I really love a good tomato. Hanover (Virginia) tomatoes are simply the best. So today is the first installment of my salad series where I am going to explore tasty seasonal treats. My wife loves a great caprese salad. Here is my take on that traditional Italian salad.

Ingredients

2 Hanover tomatoes or your favorite local variety (as a rule, 1 tomato per person served)

2 medium sized burrata mozzarella balls

1 tablespoon of fresh basil

4 slices of prosciutto

1 teaspoon of truffle oil (extra virgin olive oil is a good substitute)

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1/2 Vidalia onion sliced thinly or your favorite local variety

Salt and pepper (you can substitute pecorino or parmesan cheese for the salt)

Preparation: (Total Time: 20 minutes)

Let’s begin by setting up your cutting board.

Take your chef’s knife or tomato knife and slice the tomato into 1/4 inch think slices. Save both the top and bottom pieces for a later step. Note: be sure to cut out the center of the top of the tomato.

Take your knife and slice half the Vidalia onion into thin slices and set aside for assembly. Note: If you don’t know how to slice an onion, please refer to The Tearless Onion for instruction.

Take your knife and slice the burrata mozzarella into slices approximately the same width as the tomato. Note: be gentle when pressing down on the burrata mozzarella.

With your knife, chiffonade the fresh basil. Note: to chiffonade, roll the fresh basil into a tight roll and slice into thin strips.

Separate your prosciutto from the wax paper and roll up into nice tight rolls.

To plate: place your tomatoes around the outside rim of the serving plate.

Place the burrata mozzarella on top of each slice of tomato.

Place the rolls of prosciutto in the center of the plate.

Place the thinly sliced onion in the center of the plate.

Sprinkle some of the basil on top of each tomato and burrata mozzarella pair

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top of everything on the plate.

Carefully place a drop of truffle oil on the top of the tomato and mozzarella combination. Note: truffle oil is very strong and can be overpowering here. A little goes a long way, so use a drop per slice.

Now salt and pepper to taste. If you decide to use pecorino or parmesan cheese instead of salt, I would add it before the balsamic vinegar and truffle oil. Note: remember that prosciutto is salty, so make sure the salt hits more of the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Enjoy this salad with a nice glass of wine and you will be ready for the next course.

Buon Appetito!