Kicked Up Caprese Salad

Ingredients

When it’s summer, all I can think about are fresh heirloom tomatoes. I love to make this Kicked Up Caprese Salad to show the tomatoes off in all their glory. The sweetness of the tomatoes pairs perfectly with the creamy mozzarella, bitter arugula, and crunchy pine nuts.

1. Wash and dry your arugula and basil. No one likes a wet salad. The variation in the colors between the 2 different basils and the arugula is beautiful, but if you don’t have purple basil don’t worry about it. Just use green instead!
2. Cut your tomatoes if needed. I sometimes use the giant heirloom tomatoes all sliced up if I can’t get a few cups of mixed smaller ones. I love the different colors that they come in! They are just as gorgeous as they are delicious!
3. Place your tomatoes on top of the arugula and basil in a large serving bowl.
4. Chop up your fresh mozzarella if you decided to use a large ball of it and add it to the bowl as well . I find it easier to purchase the bocconcini , which are tiny little balls of fresh cheese.
5. Add the granulated garlic to the olive oil and drizzle it over the salad. Drizzle a good, thick, and sweet balsamic vinegar over the top of it as well. Archer Farms Balsamic  from Target and Trader Joe’s Balsamic are very good for not a lot of money.
6. Sprinkle the salad with salt, pepper, and toasted pine nuts.

HINT: You can toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium high heat. They will toast up nicely in a minute or two. Do not forget to stir them constantly while they are toasting and watch them closely. They can burn quickly. I always add them to this because Mr. Teacher loves pine nuts!

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