Caprese Salad

Since this seemed to be a hit at our little BBQ/gathering at Alyson's/Tyson's last night, I thought I'd go ahead and throw it up here. (Btw, thanks Bringhurst family for hosting such a marvelous get together!)

This is a recipe that really can be made a variety of ways, and all ingredients can be added "to taste," but here is what I did...

2 8oz containers of fresh mozzarella (the kind you buy in plastic containers soaking in water... I bought the small little balls, but you could buy the larger balls and just cut them into pieces)
6 medium to large-ish tomatoes, diced
1 package fresh basil (about 1/4 cup)
6 Tbl. olive oil
6 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Just mix it all together. Now for the bread...

slice 1 (or probably 2) baguettes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces
drizzle with olive oil
sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried basil (or italian seasoning)
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until it starts to brown around the edges just a bit

Delicious!

*As another option, sometimes this is served in little layers. If you do this you'd slice the tomato (instead of dicing) and slice large balls or mozzarella. Stack them on a plate with the basil and drizzle with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. This is generally eaten without bread... just with a fork. But really, the possibilities are endless (add lettuce and chicken to make a salad, anyone?). :)