Peach Caprese Salad
It has been SO hot in New Jersey these last few weeks, I’ve barely eaten anything cooked. Not that I don’t want to cook, my body is just craving raw foods to help keep it cool! On top of that, Jersey fresh produce is in FULL swing and I can’t get enough tomatoes, corn, peaches, blueberries, cantaloupes - I could go on. For those of you don’t know, Jersey is the Garden State for a reason! We have some seriously delicious fruits and veggies! And I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more of them into every meal - enter - the peach caprese salad!
Similar to its classic cousin, we’re using fresh tomatoes and basil, along with fresh mozzarella, and simply adding in sliced fresh peaches as well! How you serve the salad is entirely up to you. It makes a nice presentation when it’s all sliced and laid out. But for dinner at home I’m more likely to chop everything into bite sized pieces and toss it all together. Dressed with flaky sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze, it’s a quick and easy dish to pull together!
Certainly this salad pairs perfectly with Summer BBQs, grilled chicken or fish, really anything. But I actually enjoy it all on its own as a light and fresh lunch! You’re still getting that fat and protein from the mozzarella and olive oil, so you’re not hungry again right away. Plus it has that sweet and savory aspect between the peaches and tomatoes, the vinegar and salt - so it’s kind of like having your meal and dessert in one sitting! So grab the ugliest tomatoes you can find (seriously, the weirder they look, the better they are!) some fresh peaches, a nice ball of mozzarella and cut some basil from the garden and create this beautiful salad for yourself and your family! Enjoy! Buon Appetito!
Peach Caprese Salad
Serves 4
1 large, ripe tomato
1 large, ripe peach*
1/2 lb. ball of fresh mozzarella
12-15 fresh basil leaves
pinch sea salt
1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. DeNigris Balsamic Glaze
Slice the tomato, peach and mozzarella into rounds. Be sure to remove the pit from the center of the peach. You’ll have some peach pieces with a hole in the middle. You can either eat those while you’re working, or layer them into the salad. *If you omit them you may need a second peach.
On a serving dish, layer a slice of tomato, mozzarella and basil. Follow by a slice of peach, mozzarella and basil. Continue layering your slices until your dish is full and/or everything has been used.
Sprinkle the dish with sea salt. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze over the dish and serve.
*Make ahead: You can arrange your salad the morning of, wrap it tight and place it in the refrigerator. Dress with salt, olive oil and balsamic just before serving.