Made in 5 minutes, there’s no better lunch!

An Italian Caprese salad is one of those dishes that simplicity makes it shine. Like any classic item, whether it being art, music or food, adding to it, will not make it better.

The secret is not in the recipe, but in the quality and freshness of each ingredient, that is crucial. Good tomatoes should have enough sweetness and acidity, so no sugar or vinegar is required. You want to be able to taste each ingredient. Buy the best sun ripen tomatoes that are vine grown, sweet and firm. I used the heirloom variety straight from my garden, you can’t beat that! Farmers markets are usually the best places for these.

You need fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, forget anything else! If you really can’t find buffalo, then cow mozzarella will still work, but it has to be fresh.

The olive oil needs to be real pure virgin olive oil that’s first pressed. Read labels carefully as a lot of so called olive oils are part vegetable oil or have other additives.

The basil of course needs to be fresh. Use quality crystal salt that you can crunch on and freshly cracked pepper for full aroma.

Buy or bake a rustic loaf of sourdough bread that’s crusty on the outside and delicious soft inside to soak up that olive oil. You don’t have to follow my exact recipe; this is just a guideline to help you enjoy one of the best salads on earth. It simple, so buy the best ingredients. Make it for lunch today and enjoy!