CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients

• fresh tomatoes, I like Sweet Campari, sliced
• mozzarella cheese, sliced
• fresh basil, chiffanade style
• drizzle of balsamic glaze
• drizzle of fine virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Slice tomatoes.
2. Slice Mozzarella cheese
3. Chiffanade the basil by stacking leaves on top of one another.  Roll them sideways like a cigar.  Cut even slices using a knife or scissors.
4. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil
5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Kathy’s Comments

I used basil that I grew from a seed packet I bought at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.  After the basil went to flowering and then blackened, I seperated the seeds and saved them for next year.

I started the seeds using  a seed starting greenhouse kit with fast expanding coconut coir pellets.  Prepare the pellets by placing in a water tight tray.  Add 1 1/2″ of lukewarm water.  Drain excess water when pellets are 1-1/2 ” tall.  Add seeds. Lightly cover with coir.  Add dome and place in a warm location, out of direct sunlight.  Keep pellets moist, but not soggy until seeds germinate.

Remove the dome after leaves appear.  Place in a sunny location.  Keep moist but don’t overwater.

Once danger of frost has passed, transplant outdoors.

By KathyMillerTime