Salad Caprese

Happy July everyone!  Hard to believe we're already halfway through 2013.  So many fabulous recipes and so little time!  :)

We've been growing our own vegetables, and one of our newest, favorite salads has been with fresh mozzarella, our own homegrown, sliced tomato and fresh basil topped with either a balsamic or red wine vinaigrette.  For a healther version skip the oil altogether and dress the salad with your favorite vinegar only and use a lite mozzarella.  For a snack, I use cherry tomatoes and sliced, lite mozzarella string cheese for a mini-sized, healthy portion.  I dress my salad with my favorite, balsamic vinegar only and it's the perfect complement to this dish.

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/8-inch thick slices 
20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)*
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange with the basil leaves on a large platter. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.

Vinaigrette*

1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar, optional*
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil (I only use about 1/2 cup or even less because I like my dressing more vinegary)

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

*The vinaigrette recipe is Emeril Lagasse's