What better way to end the season than with a dish that is the essence of an Italian summer garden…tomatoes and basil. Each summer one of my favorite antipasto dishes is a caprese salad of sliced vine ripe tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil that is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. If topped with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, so much the better.
Another way to present the dish is to have it a look like a tomato sandwich and dress it with a light pesto vinaigrette.
Both of these examples only take minutes to prepare, look beautiful on a plate and have an amazing flavor. There is no recipe needed for this dish. Just use vine ripe tomatoes (heirloom for the ultimate taste) and the best quality ingredients that you can find.
Even though the tomato and basil plants have been pulled from my garden, it is not the end of my enjoyment of summer’s bounty. I have the last of the picked tomatoes sitting on trays in the kitchen waiting to be made into sauce for the freezer, bowls of cherry tomatoes that are being enjoyed on lunch salads and piles of basil leaves being made into pesto. A couple of the prettiest tomatoes are being saved for one more caprese salad. If you have a wonderful vine ripe tomato sitting in your kitchen, think about preparing one of the best Italian antipasto dishes there is…a caprese salad. Perfect for either a dinner party or a simple weeknight meal.
Back Road Journal 
That’s a great looking dish. Your tomatoes are such a rich colour. And I love your dish, too. xx
Thank you Charlie, this is one of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes. The heirloom tomatoes do have a wonderful color…especially the one in the first photo. That is a Black Krim tomato, one of my all time favorite tomatoes to grow.
What better way…..? There is no better way!! I live on this salad all summer and never get tired of it. I am lying in bed reading this post…maybe I will have it for breakfast!
I think I have to agree with you Heather. A caprese salad made with the best ingredients is so good. This would be a good way to start the day. See…I can make something that fits into your new way of eating, at least every once in a while.
Your tomatoes are gorgeous !! And this is one of my favourite salads.
Hi Carolyn, The tomato crop this year really produced some beauties. I think a caprese salad is a favorite of a lot of people. Thank you for your comment.
Gorgeous stacked salad!
Thank you for your compliment, Chunklet. They were as good as they look.
One of my favourite salads. So simple but with the best ingredients just wonderful! Beautiful photos Karen.
Hi Kay, It really is such a simple salad but when the ingredients are top notch, it is the best. Thank you for your compliment.
Both looks mouth watering delicious especially the super thick slices of black krim heirloom. Agree the flavor and aroma of heirloom can’t be beat. My tomato season has ended, looking forward to next year’s harvest.
Hi Norma, The Black Krim is one of my favorite tomatoes. It was the first to ripen, loaded with tomatoes and they had an outstanding taste. My kitchen counter is lined with all the tomatoes that we had to pick. I’ll be going home with a bunch packed up and lots of frozen sauce.
Caprese is such a refreshing salad! Yours are not only refreshing but beautiful works of art! I could even smell the basil!!!
Hi Emil, You are right, caprese salad is refreshing. Thank you for your very nice compliment on the presentation. I appreciate it.
Wonderful … I did this on our menu in 2004 – I did the costing the recipe spec in 2003- God that is now 10 years ago – here is my post about it. http://wp.me/p293Pw-11O – this time you didn’t bring me something new – but you brought me stunning photos and they are far better then mine – my was so bad I couldn’t use it when scanning it from the spec. Have to borrow somebody’s. Totally agree this is a fantastic and refreshing salad and one of my all year around.
Nothing new this time Viveka, just a tried and true dish that is a favorite of most people. I thought it was a fitting way to end the summer season as later today the official start to fall begins. Thank you for your comment.
You should try it with water cress .. it give that peppery flavor. I will try yours with the pesto. Very good shots .. you always delivery great post and dishes.
I will try it with watercress and red onions…it sounds good. Thanks for the compliment.
You, don’t forget to marinade the onions … I will do yours – have everything at home at the moment.
Absolutely…I’m sure it really adds to the flavor.
Simple but delicious! We have salad every meal, this will be a nice addition to our meals (and a change), thanks!
Hi Ming, Simple things are sometimes the best. What is nice is that it takes no time to prepare and is so good. Glad to have inspired you.
Such a classic and always a favorite in our gluttonous house.
Hi Jed, I think this Italian classic is a favorite of many people…it is in our home. Thanks for the comment.
dazzling simple and attractive
Thank you LouAnn, for your nice compliment. This is the simplest dish to make and very good.
Yum! I am still a bit of a country bumpkin. About two years ago I was visiting my daughter in Camarillo California and she made a small tray of the sandwich version with her vine ripe tomatoes and fresh basil picked moments before. Wow…drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar – I was hooked. Now I add to my education and the garden treat has a name. Gall durn! I larn sumpin new every dag burned day!
Hi Bishop, You certainly gave me a chuckle. It really is easy to get hooked on this salad. I know you had a nice crop of tomatoes with which to make this dish. By the way…I wouldn’t ever call you a country bumpkin. LOL.
Down here in Mexico I make this quite often for ourselves and guests. If I stack it I call it a Caprese Neopolitano *like the dessert name (since it is layered). In place of mozzarella, I use slices of herbed goat cheese for a bolder flavor.
Hi Reg, Like the name you have given the salad. The herbed goat cheese has to be good in the salad. I have also used blue cheese with the tomatoes which is good as well.
I forgot to mention that sometimes I put a little dollop of pesto sauce between the layers too!
Sounds good to me.
Both my husband and I were brought up in an Italian household so this is bliss for us! I love the little changes you added here so you can keep making it fresh although a straight caprese salad will do just fine too!
Hi Donna, I have to agree with you about this salad being bliss. Simple or dressed up a little when having guests for dinner…it is still delicious.
Simply sensational Karen!
🙂 Mandy xo
Thank you Mandy, for your nice compliment. It is one of my favorite Italian dishes.
You can’t go wrong with caprese salad made from the freshest ingredients. And yours are beautiful!
Hi Victoria, I love preparing this salad when my tomatoes come straight off the vine. Thank you for your compliment.
Oh my goodness Karen you must should enter your second photo into a contest. It is amazing…My fork and knife are ready for this feast!
Thank you Bam, for your kind words. The second photo was when we had friends for dinner and I wouldn’t let anyone eat until I took the photo. Thank goodness they are such good friends…they never have a meal at our house without my photographing the entire meal. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Classic and timeless. My tomatoes finally came ripe and we’ve been enjoying them like this (without the cheese) with some regularity. What a luxury.
Hi Little Sis, Homegrown tomatoes really are a luxury. I will certainly miss mine when they are gone…only a couple of meals worth of fresh ones left. Enjoy yours while they last. Thank you for your comment.
Another keeper for sure Karen. Great photography and lovely presentation.
Best,
Conor
Thank you Conor, for your nice compliment. One of my favorite summer dishes.
We love this too Karen..favorite flavors..and lots of color!
Hi Monique, I think this Italian classic is a favorite of so many. There is nothing better than a vine ripe tomato salad.Thank you for your comment.
Gorgeous salad, I love caprese!
Hi Laura, How could anyone not love this salad. As you said it is so pretty and has such a delicious flavor.
I just bought some cheese for our homemade pizza night – sundried tomato and basil cheddar, suggested by the cheesemaker himself for homemade pizza. Your post has me really looking forward to our family’s pizza night (although I doubt any salad will be involved) 🙂
Hi Dena, I’m sure your pizza will be delicious, especially with a recommendation on what cheese to use from the cheese maker himself. You could take all the components of my salad sometime and make a delicious pizza Margarita…very Italian.
Well that certainly looks wonderful!
Thank you Phil, for your nice compliment. The caprese salads were both as good as they look.
I love these so much! I used my very last tomatoes last week. I was so sad. Now I have to wait another 6 months before I can enjoy another caprese salad. I should have planted more tomatoes.
Hi Anna, I have been making sauce with a lot of my tomatoes as the rest had to be picked at once since we are closing the cottage. I have enough fresh ones left for just a couple more sliced tomato salads. I know what you mean…we will have to wait a long time to enjoy tomatoes right off the vine. Every year I say I’m not going to plant as many…but I planted 15 this year.
I am going for 6 next year, staggering their planting time so I have a few that are peaking later. All four of mine peaked at the same time. Next year things will be different…. 🙂
I will be interested to hear if staggering your planting effects when your crop ripens. For my garden, I don’t have any wiggle room as the season is so short. I can’t plant before the last week of May because of the possibility of frost. I’ve had to pick the remainder of the crop all at once because we have had two nights with temperatures at freezing or below.
Super photos of a yummy dish! My Mom made this for dinner quite often when we were children. We didn’t have a lot, but Mom sure fed us well.
Hi David, Thank you for your nice compliment. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. It sounds like your mom fed you very will. Simple dishes like this are very good.
I love this salad my friend, so vibrant 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hi Uru, This really is a pretty salad with its’ vibrant mix of colors. Thank you for your compliment.
Heirloom tomatoes are so delicious and topped with mozzarella and EVO what could be better. A great end to the summer. GG
Hi GG, There is nothing better in my book than an heirloom tomato. Dress it up and it is outstanding. Thank you for your comment.
Even though they contain my nemesis, the raw tomato, the presentations are beautiful.
Hi Boleyn, Thank you for your comment…I’m glad you liked the presentation. As they say “looks are everything” especially if you don’t eat raw tomatoes.
This is by far my favorite salad! You’ve done it beautifully Karen. I can just smell the cracked pepper and basil from here. Yum!
Hi Kristy, I’m glad you liked the post. This salad appears to be a favorite of a lot of people.
Really nice photos. Great garnishing job. This salad is one of my favorites, too. I hate saying goodbye to all of these great summer flavors, but really excited about the heartier food I always associate with fall. Always good to have something to look forward to! Nice post – thank you.
Thank you John, for your nice compliment. I’m like you…I will really miss the wonderful flavor of summer tomatoes. Fall in New Hampshire is such a beautiful time of the year that I don’t mind leaving summer behind.
I love this salad, and have enjoyed it in some vey nice restaurants. But I haven’t made it at home, and I have no idea why I haven’t. Yours look so beautiful! I only have a few tomatoes left, too, but I do have some buffalo mozzarella in the refrigerator and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do with it. I bought it on impulse! 🙂 Now I know, so thank you, Karen! Debra
Hi Debra, I’m happy to have given you inspiration of what to do with the buffalo mozzarella. I think it will do the last of your tomatoes justice. Enjoy!
Beautiful, as always. I wish I could get tomatoes to grow. 😦 Insalata Caprese is wonderful with store bought tomatoes but vine ripened home grown tomatoes take it over the top. I’m jealous.
Thank you Richard, for your nice compliment. I know that it is very hard to grow tomatoes with your high summer temperatures.
You are so right – the caprese IS the best way to send out the summer. There’s very few things as fresh and tasty. These are two beautiful presentations!
Hi MJ, I’m glad you agree with me…caprese is such a delicious salad and I wanted to showcase the last of my tomatoes in a gppd way. Thank you for your nice compliment.
The second caprese photo reminded me of The Flying Nun! Enjoy the last tastes of summer and best wishes for an easy move to autumn digs!
That is so funny but I think you are right, Natalia. Thank you for your kind wish…our New Hampshire home and apples trees just waiting to be picked are calling. Autumn is probably the prettiest time of the year there.
It looks like you’ve had some divine caprese salads this summer! We had one ourselves tonight–there’s no better way to celebrate very last of summer’s tomatoes.
Hi Emmy, We certainly have had some great caprese salads. Each time is a little different, depending on which variety of tomato I’m using but they all all delicious. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed a caprese salad as well. A nice way to end summer. Thank you for your comment.
That salad looks good, I love a simple caprese
I have to agree with you Raymund, this is such a simple salad but one of my favorites. Thank you for your compliment.
Beautiful shots, Karen! We’ve eaten our share of them this summer!
Have you seen that Maplebrook Farm is making a Burrata now? I bought some last week -Oh, My!
Thank you for your compliment, Marie. I know you have had a nice crop of tomatoes as well. This salad is a great way of using some of them. Thanks for your tip about the Burrata which I love. We will be back in New Hampshire tomorrow and I will have to check at the market.
What a delicious way to present that, Karen! It looks visually fantastic.
Thanks Frugal. I appreciate your kind words. The salads were as good as they look.
I bet they were – caprese is one of my favourites.
Mine too, thanks.
Yes there is nothing better than basil , tomato and buf motzarella at he height of the season. It looks so beautiful too . very impressive
Hi Tania, Thank you for your nice compliment. I thought this salad was a perfect way to use some of the last of my garden goodies.
I’ll have to try both of those – I love basil, mozzarella and tomato!
Hi Mad Dog, I think you would enjoy them both. Thanks for your comment.
This looks so delicious, Karen! What a perfect time of year for you to post this–when our gardens still have a few luscious ripe tomatoes and perhaps some basil. We pulled our tomatoes last week but there are still some rosy red ones sitting in the basement. Now, if only there was a place to buy fresh mozzarella in town. Will have to keep this in mind if we go to the city soon. Thank you.
Hi Kathy, I think a lot of us gardeners still have some tomatoes in the house this time of the year. I hope you get a chance to make the caprese but even if you don’t, I know you will enjoy your remaining tomatoes. Thank you for your compliment.
So simple yet so delicious! A favorite of mine.
Gorgeous photos!
Thank you Twisterfish, for stopping by for a visit and your nice compliment. So very simple to make!
That is just about my favorite and you make it look so beautiful. I’ve found a balsamic glaze that is thicker than the vinegar & just perfect for this.
Hi Diane, Thank you for your nice compliment. I use a balsamic glaze often and it would be perfect on this salad.
There are few dishes a simply perfect as a caprese salad, in my mind. Love! And i’m beyond jealous that you have an apple orchard on your property – how lovely!
Hi Amy, I have to agree with you. Caprese salad is simple to make but is so good. As they say…simple is best in many situations. The main thing is to have the very best of ingredients for this particular dish. I do love being surrounded by an apple orchard at our home in New Hampshire but it is a lot of work. I do love that we have a 100 different varieties of apples…they are so good.
Ah, beautiful caprese salad. Both versions look delicious and how nice that you still have this bit of summer to enjoy!
Hi Betsy, Thank you for your nice compliment. I have made quarts of tomato sauce and we still have a couple of dozen tomatoes to take back to New Hampshire. The cottage will be closed tomorrow. It was a good year overall with the garden even though there was late blight to work around with the tomatoes.
This is hands down one of my favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes.. especially varieties like you’ve presented here. I can only dream of having a Black Krim tomato, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in our markets here. My favorite is the pesto, a restaurant here serves a version of this one with pesto.. I would have yours for dinner.. maybe two or three, please:)
Hi Barbara, The Black Krim is a wonderful heirloom tomato that I grown with a pronounced tomato flavor, very meaty and not many seeds. It is a good slicing tomato perfect in a salad like this or a sandwich. I agree that topping the caprese with pesto is one of my favorite salads.
Is there any property for sale around you:)
I’ll keep an eye out for you…it would be nice to have you as a neighbor.
Oh my, so simple, so beautiful and classic, so delicious! Thanks for sharing this caprese salad. Funny you should mention you have tomatoes on trays waiting to be made into sauce. I bought one more 25 pound box of Roma tomatoes at the market yesterday, the last my vendor will have this season. I made a batch of sauce with the ripest tomatoes this morning; the rest are spread out on my dining table to continuing ripening until it’s time to turn them into sauce too. We’ll be enjoying them all winter long!
Hi Marlene, It sounds like we will have our big pots busy. There is nothing better than sauce made from vine ripe tomatoes…especially in the middle of winter.
This is one of my favourite salads because of its simplicity and fresh flavours. However, even though it is a simple dish — I must say that yours looks spectacular. Great way to wrap up the season Karen … I couldn’t agree more!
Thank you Barb, for your nice compliment. I do like to make the salad as pretty as it is tasty. I will certainly miss having fresh tomatoes…they have been wonderful.
My new daughter-in-law’s parents from Columbia are visiting at the moment, and I served this very thing as a starter last weekend. Had to hunt down “real and proper” buffalo mozzarella, put I did find it eventually. Not always easy to source such things from the heart of hilly Sussex. It was a huge success; they’d never tasted mozzarella or seen this combination before.
Hi Misky, I’m sure your guests enjoyed the caprese salad…it is so popular with everyone it seems. Thanks for your comment.
Something so simple made to look and taste so beautiful – wonderful!
Hi Tanya, You must be missing homegrown tomatoes since you are away from your garden. Although I know you are enjoying foods you can’t get at home while you are in England. Thank you for your nice compliment.
Caprese salad just really represents Italy to me-it’s the flag too 😀 And yours looks so luscious Karen!
Thank you Lorraine, for your nice compliment. Yes…this truly is a classic Italian dish.
Karen, are you serving this utterly beautiful and ever popular appetizer from “Villeroy Boch” plates?! The Insalata Caprese looks wonderful when served this way and it looks even more appetizing when served on beautiful plates like yours!
Hi Andrea, You are right, my china at the cottage is Villeroy Boch. They are such a pretty pattern…too bad the beautiful lemon in the center doesn’t show when food is on the salad plate. Thank you for your lovely compliment.
Simplicity at its perfection! I am too a fan of caprese salad.
Hi Angie, It seems like a caprese salad is a favorite of many of us foodies. Thanks for your comment.
The Caprese Salad looks delicious! I am always looking for new ways to use my tomatoes and basil. Simple is best and this is certainly simple! Thanks for sharing! I also checked out a couple other posts and loved them too. The lobster looks delish. I’m a seafood girl at heart.
Hi Julie, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice comment. I’m glad that you enjoyed some of my other posts. Seafood in New England is always so fresh so you will often find me creating a new dish using it. I look forward to your visits.
Classic and always good. One of my favourite summer lunch!
Hi Rita, Caprese does make a lovely lunch. I’m dreading the fact that in the next couple of days I will have used my last summer tomato.
I need one more caprese salad this year! I do still have basil growing, and the version above with pesto sounds perfect right now.
Hi Lisa, Thank you for stopping by for a visit. My basil is going strong even after two nights of 32 degrees. Enjoy the caprese salad. Thank you for your comment.
Beautiful, elegant photo and dish. It really does show the simplicity of summer at its finest. I will miss the tomato crop of 2012!
Hi T.W., Thank you for your very nice compliment. I have about a dozen tomatoes left. They were terrific…I’m going to hate to see them go.
just perfection. a dish that sums up the beauty of the end of summer! Love it
Thank you Jessica, for your nice compliment. Just what I thought…tomatoes and basil are such a wonderful part of a summer garden. I’ll miss having them right outside my door.
I love caprese salads! I am pretty sure we had one every night this summer! 🙂
Hi Christina, Caprese salads are so good that I can see why you would want to eat them every night during the summer. I only have a few tomatoes left.
How utterly delicious and lovely in its simplicity.
Thank you Ladyfi, for your nice compliment. Caprese salads are delicious.
I know those tomatoes tasted as fresh and good as they look. Simple but classy plates. I like it.
Hi Wendy, This summer’s tomatoes were so tasty and the caprese salads were terrific. Only a few left on the kitchen counter now. Thank you for your comment.
Well my heart is beating rapidly Karen. I was scrolling down to make this comment and my eye caught a comment from someone that I though said ” Chef Emeril”. 🙂 I nearly choked! I thought, oh my gosh, I wonder if Karen can introduce me. Hahaha! I love Emeril. My very first Chef crush. But as I looked back it said Chef Emil. Now I’ll have to go check out his blog. But back to this lovely salad… one of my absolute faves. I never tire of this lovely salad! Beautiful pictures too.
Hi Karista, I chuckled reading your comment. Do stop by Chef Emil’s blog…he is also known as The Tin Man in the comments. Thank you for your compliment.
I so agree with you, Karen. Soon all we’ll have left are memories of this season’s tomatoes as we eagerly await next year’s crop. What better way to enjoy these last few than with a Caprese salad? Well, we just might be able to eke out a BLT or two but I bet you’re way ahead of me. 🙂
Hi John, With only a few tomatoes left, a sandwich is definitely in order besides having them sliced in this salad. Even with blight, this summer’s crop of tomatoes was very good.
I am going to try my luck with tomatoes again this summer! PS, re an RSS feed – if you want to add one to your blog (so I can read you on my RSS reader) then you would have to go into the widgets and drag the RSS widget into your side bar. Have a great day 🙂
Hi Tandy, I do think that you should try growing tomatoes again. The rewards are really great especially if you grow some of the heirloom varieties that have so much flavor. Thanks for the explanation about the RSS.
it is my pleasure! I am now reading your blog in my reader 🙂
How playful you are in setting and creating your dishes Karen ! And what better way to enjoy fresh ingredients like your heirloom tomatoes. Lovely !!
Hi Claire, I’m glad that you like my presentations. I think we get as much pleasure with our eyes as with our taste. Thank you for your compliment.
Yes, caprese salad is an all time classic Karen! Yours looks absolutely fabulous!
Thank you Katerina, for your nice compliment. The two caprese salads were delicious.
There is indeed nothing better in the summer than a delicious Caprese salad made with the finest tomatoes! I also have lots of my own tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be used for just such a treat and also for sauce. I love your Caprese ‘sandwich’ salad 🙂
Hi Susan, I brought two boxes home from the cottage and made sauce with all but three. I most have another caprese sandwich with the last ones. Enjoy your tomatoes while they last. Thank you for your comment.
Oooh la la. And delicious as well!
Hi Teresa, I’m glad you liked the post. Thank you for your nice compliment. Caprese really is a delicious tomato salad.
Don’t remind me that Summer is ending. 😦 Although, this gorgeous and tasty recipe cheered me up over the fact!
Hi Ashley, I can’t believe that summer flew by so fast. My tomatoes were delicious…only three left to enjoy. I’m glad you like the post and photos.
I adore caprese salad, especially when it is topped with a great balsamic vinegar! This is a great way to say goodbye to summer.
Hi Christine, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice comment. I really hate that my vine ripe tomatoes are coming to an end. This salad was a nice way to use one of the last ones.
You’re living the dream surrounded by apple orchards and all these “critters”. Both versions of your Caprese salad look mouth watering as well.
Hi Bellini, Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your nice compliment. The vegetable garden in Maine produced a lovely crop of tomatoes this year. Now that we are back at our home in New Hampshire it is time to start picking apples.
be still my heart – the Caprese salad is perhaps one of life’s most perfect little bites! And a favorite of mine. If you don’t have “perfect” looking pieces you can do the whole thing as a sandwich on french loaf. That is a lunchtime favorite of mine at a local sandwich shop. (sometimes I even have them add a little prosciutto!)
H Carol, I have really enjoyed the summer tomato season and the caprese salads were one of my favorite ways of enjoying them. Oh yes, putting the caprese salad into a sandwich is delicious as well.
Love this dish and how pretty you made it look! And homemade pesto too. Delicious!
Hi Laura, Thank you for your compliment. This is such a simple dish to prepare that you don’t mind taking a little time to make it look pretty.