All Things Caprese

The traditional Caprese Salad mimics the colors of the Italian flag. Thought to have hailed from Capri, a Caprese Insalata brightens a dish with rich red tomatoes, deep green basil and white mozzarella. While the traditional Caprese Salad consists of layering vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and tender basil leaves, cooks and bloggers have taken the simple Caprese salad to new heights.

The possibilities are endless:

1. Caprese-on-a-stick: thread toothpicks with a cherry tomato, a pearl-shaped ("perlini") ball of fresh mozzarella and a fresh basil leaf.

2. Caprese roses: Hollow out a cherry tomato and insert a small perlini (pearl-sized) mozzarella ball. Put the tomato/mozzarella ball at the top of a wooden skewer. Dredge the white of the mozzarella in pesto or simply in chopped basil and oil. Arrange skewers as roses in a vase.

3. Mix small slices (or again, pearl-sized) mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, basil and your favorite vinaigrette. Arrange in wine glasses or put in tiny candle holders that double as verrines. If creating verrines, layer the ingredients: fresh mozzarella, chopped basil (or pesto) layer and then chopped tomatoes or a cherry tomato on top.

4. In the winter, roast your tomatoes and then serve with slices of fresh mozzarella and pesto.

5. For an entree, mix small pieces of fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves with fresh pasta. You could lightly saute the tomatoes first. The warm pasta will melt the mozzarella.

6. Mix chopped tomatoes (or cherry, grape or pear tomatoes) with pitted Kalamata olives, sliced mozzarella and basil. Add a little olive oil and vinegar and serve on top of bruschetta (lightly toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic).

7. Tomato stacks: Cut vine-ripened round tomatoes into 3-4 slices. Salt and pepper the bottom slice and add a thin slice of mozzarella. spread a thin layer of pesto and some fresh basil leaves on top of the mozzarella. Repeat with the following layers. Drizzle with a little oil and vinegar. Grind fresh pepper around it and serve.

8. Mix tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella into risotto.

9. Hollow out fresh plum tomatoes and fill with a mixture of mozzarella and basil laced with olive oil. Roast them or serve them cold.

10. Add croutons or bread soaked in vinegar for a Caprese version of Tuscany's tomato-bread salad.

The cardinal rule of the Caprese Salad is the tomatoes must be vine-ripened. Hothouse tomatoes are not tolerated in Italy! If you have new and fresh ways of serving Caprese, I would love to hear them and include them in a follow-up.