Caprese Salad

Since my recipe involved a quick stop at Whole Foods, here is a homemade caprese salad recipe that I have tried and really liked:

Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe
serves 4 as first course

4 large tomatoes, sliced into thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into thick slices
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Basil Vinaigrette
1 small shallot, roughly chopped (substitute with 1 tablespoon chopped onion or 1 garlic clove)
2 slices fresh chili pepper
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons good white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. To make the Basil Vinaigrette, add the shallot and chili pepper to the blender. Next add the basil leaves, water, vinegar and sea salt. Blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you are blending.

2. To assemble the Caprese Salad, layer the tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. In between each layer, season with a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the basil vinaigrette on top.

Store extra basil vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe and image courtesy: steamykitchen.com : http://steamykitchen.com/5086-caprese-salad-with-basil-vinaigrette.html