“Double Tomato Salad” — Caprese salad with a twist

Yes, I know this looks like a Caprese salad and indeed, it started out as one. I fully intended to do the traditional tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil with a drizzle of olive oil. That is what I put together to send to a potluck.

But here’s what happened: Earlier in the afternoon I had made a recipe of dried tomatoes in garlic oil (here). The aroma of it sends me into ecstasy. It lingers on my fingers. It lingers in the kitchen. It was still lingering when the Caprese salad was under construction.

I used the largest heirloom tomatoes and the tenderest basil tips I had on hand. The fresh mozzarella was perfect and the olive oil was heady with perfume. But what I most was responding to was the lingering scent of the dried tomatoes in garlic oil. As a result, the Caprese salad ended up with a generous helping of dried tomato dressing.

This is the story of how “Double Tomato Salad” came to be. As a result of this experience, I worked especially hard to ensure a good stash of dried tomatoes for the coming year. You will too!

This is so easy:

1. Build your salad alternating slices of tomato with fresh mozzarella. Tuck in the basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix together a scoop of Dried Tomatoes in Garlic Oil.
3. Add some minced fresh basil and a chopped tomato. Stir up the mixture and taste for salt. Make adjustments. There are no mistakes with this. Just make the dressing to suit your palette.
4. Slowly add more olive oil to create a sauce-like consistency.
5. Spoon the sauce evenly over your tomato creation.

The turkey-sized platter of this salad pictured in this post came back empty. I should have gotten pictures of the empty plate!