Dinner Tonight: Peach Caprese Salad
Beyond the absolutely brilliant idea this recipe for peach caprese salad is—substituting the juicy summer tomato with the fragrant, sweet peach—there's not much more to say about this variation on an a classic. All the usual elements are there: creamy mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, and fruity olive oil. But otherwise, this is recipe that passes the summer recipe test with flying colors: the instructions are little more than the word "combine."
The recipe from Real Simple magazine omits the vinegar, leaving just olive oil, salt, and fresh pepper as a seasoning. But I kept the balsamic in the recipe to remind me that it's a proper salad with good balance of acidity; I loved the way the sweetness of the balsamic echoed the peaches'. I also sought out local fruit, which are often picked from the tree already ripe, and quality balsamic that didn't have the harshness some cheap stuff has. When a recipe is this simple, every ingredient counts.
Peach Caprese Salad
- serves 4 -
Adapted from Real Simple.
Ingredients
3 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
Olive oil to taste
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Salt
Pepper
Procedure
1. Halve each peach, remove the pit, and slice. Slice the mozzarella and tear the basil leaves.
2. Arrange peaches and mozzarella on a large plate. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar to taste (aim for a 3-to-1 ration of oil to vinegar). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil.
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10 Comments:
This is genius.
Kerosena at 4:24PM on 08/06/09
I had a caprese salad with orange slices substituted for the tomato at a restaurant in Seattle once--it was heavenly. I'm sure peaches would be just as delicious!
SEAtoNYC at 4:30PM on 08/06/09
Love this idea! I just bought some peaches too.
Chew on That at 4:45PM on 08/06/09
heh! i made this a couple nights ago for dinner, but with prosciutto, and substituted mint for the basil. okay, not quite the same thing but pretty close!
j at 4:46PM on 08/06/09
@SEAtoNYC - I had a similar one at an Italian Joint in Cuba but they used pears seasoned with cloves and all that jazz. Deelightful! I would definitely try this recipe :) thanks blake
hungrychristel at 4:47PM on 08/06/09
I may have to make this this weekend!
bkbella at 8:41PM on 08/06/09
omg please proofread
djwackfriz at 10:55AM on 08/07/09
That looks amazing, and I can't believe I've never seen anything like it before. It's such a simple substitution...don't know why it's never crossed my mind. I think I might try it with half peaches, half strawberries.
kimberlymac at 11:37AM on 08/07/09
This looks delicious! I'm actually eating a traditional (tomato) caprese salad for lunch today.
Megs915 at 12:31PM on 08/07/09
Tried this tonight and it's 'omg good'. Used white peaches and fresh mozzarella drizzled with white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. The basil and salt really highlight and bring out the sweetness of the peach which surprised me. I use salt on watermelon but had never salted a peach before. This is one of those .. 'the recipe sounded great but the results exceeded all expectations'.
nesea at 7:58PM on 08/11/09