Caprese salad – a combination of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil – is a dish so gloriously simple, yet it instantly transports you to sunny Capri. This caprese board to make when tomatoes are in season and at their best — you should be able to smell them before you see them.
Caprese Board
Caprese salad – a combination of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil – is a dish so gloriously simple, yet it instantly transports you to sunny Capri. This is a board to make when tomatoes are in season and at their best — you should be able to smell them before you see them. This happens to be my favourite cheeseboard; it’s easy to put together, delicious and beautiful. Add your own touch of homemade flair to this mouthwatering plate by loading it up with fresh produce, homemade pesto or your own favourite Italian treats. I love to pair a slightly bitter Negroni with the board as the fresh clean flavours cut through the creaminess of the cheese, and marry together with the other sweet, savoury and salty notes.
Ingredients
Cheese
- 80 g freshly grated Parmesan
- 500g burrata balls 2 x 250g balls
- 300 g mozzarella Bocconcini
Meat
- 150 g sliced gluten-free Italian salami
Accompaniments
- 3 beefsteak tomatoes
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 1 Campari tomato
- 150 g raspberries
- 100 g toasted salted almonds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
For the pesto
- 150 g fresh basil leaves
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- Flaked sea salt and freshly
- Ground black pepper
BREAD AND CRACKERS
- 1 loaf crusty gluten-free bread
- 180 g gluten-free crackers
Garnish
- 200 g fresh basil so much basil!
- 50 g micro basil
- 100 g pine nuts
Instructions
- Make the pesto: place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz, then, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until everything is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Leave two of the largest tomatoes whole and a few whole cherry tomatoes, and cut the rest of the tomatoes into slices or halves. Slice the gluten-free bread, if required.
- To assemble, place a layer of basil leaves on the plate. Arrange the burrata over the basil leaves with the two whole beefsteak tomatoes, then arrange the mozarella bocconcini around the plate. Start adding the different kinds of tomatoes, mixing the different varieties together. Fold each slice of salami to create a triangle shape and lay in a line on the plate, between the cheese and tomatoes. Keep adding tomatoes – more is more when it comes to Caprese! Add the raspberries and some almonds here and there and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Finish with the micro basil leaves and pine nuts. Serve with the gluten-free bread and crackers alongside.
Notes
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