Insalata Caprese

In Italian, Insalata Caprese means salad from Capri. Capri is a very small island off the southeast coast of Italy near Naples. Like I said at dinner, although part of my family is Italian, they are from Sicily and therefore this food is not a part of my Sicilian heritage. My family is from the northern coast of Sicily, east of the city Palermo (Sicily is the large island being “kicked” by the boot).

My great uncle was really into documenting our family history (he actually published a book) and created this website which tells the story of my great-grandfather, Sebastian Sapienza: http://www.termini-imerese.org/Stories/Sapienza.htm.

In any case, here is my family’s recipe for Insalata Caprese:

buffalo mozzarella

fresh ripe red tomatoes

fresh basil

extra virgin olive oil

Slice mozzarella into slices of medium thickness (about ½-inch). Lay flat on a platter. Slice tomatoes into comparable sized rounds and lay across mozzarella. Top with pieces of fresh basil either chopped or whole. Garnish with olive oil.

Alternatively you can add several alternating layers of tomatoes and mozzarella or put the ingredients in a bowl to create a tossed salad.