The Truffled Life

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Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

Food is beautiful to me.  I have a bit of a love affair with it.  I could gaze at it for a long time as if I were staring into its eyes.  Weird, I know, but I love its naturally occurring color, texture, taste, and smell.  Enjoying a good meal goes beyond taste alone.  I love it when it looks pretty too.  When someone takes the time and effort into their plating and presentation, it means they want to arouse a deeper emotion in you.  When you're eating what's on your plate, they not only want you to taste it, but they want you to feel something too.  So, when I'm preparing almost anything, I usually ask myself, "How can I make it beautiful?"  That's why I loved creating this caprese salad using my own homegrown red, yellow, and purple cherry tomatoes.  How gorgeous are these colors in a bowl?!  And guess what?  Each color brings a varied flavor, adding more depth to a regular caprese salad.  Whether you've picked different colored tomatoes in your garden or grab a pack of medley cherry tomatoes at the store, give this a try.  It's an excellent way to pump up both the flavor and the look of your caprese salad.
Recipe for Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad:
Ingredients:
  • 3 cups cherry tomato medley, mostly halved (quarter the larger ones)
  •  1 1/4 cups fresh mozzarella pearls 
  •  10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped 
  •  2-3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Trader Joe’s balsamic glaze, to drizzle  
Directions:
In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except for the balsamic glaze.  Toss to combine well.  When serving, drizzle with the balsamic glaze.