five-star, five-minute caprese with mozzarella di Bufala

July is tomato season in Charleston, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the beauty of peak produce. When I walk into the farmer's market or Veggie Bin on Spring Street downtown Charleston, I am inspired by all the produce options! This time of year, tomatoes are at their prime. Heirloom varieties, beef steak, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes...the list goes on. Caprese salad, to me, is an opportunity to let tomatoes shine. I keep caprese salads simple with tomatoes cut into a variety of shapes, creamy buffalo mozzarella (I use the buffalo mozzarella cheese from goat.sheep.cow that they buy from Luigi Guffanti in Campania ), fresh basil, Olinda olive oil and flaky sea salt. It is so easy to make that you can do it with a glass of wine in your hands or hungry friends and family around you in the kitchen. You may also use mozzarella that you find in your grocery store, but if you can, the buffalo mozzarella makes a big difference. Check out my five star caprese with mozzarella di Bufala. 

Feeds 4-6 people

2 pounds tomatoes (preferably a mix of varieties and sizes)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, I recommend Olinda 

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Flaky sea salt, to taste

8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn

In a large bowl, combine the cut tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, black pepper, and flaky sea salt. Toss lightly to coat each tomato. Arrange the tomatoes artistically on a large platter.

Piece by piece, gently tear the buffalo mozzarella into bite-sized pieces and nestle them among the tomatoes. Add the torn basil to the Caprese, sprinkle on more flaky sea salt, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (or more if you’d like—go for it!).

That’s all. No balsamic drizzle is needed—the tomatoes have enough to offer on their own.