Monday, February 21, 2011

Garlic Baguette with Caprice Salad

I just had one of my favorite things for lunch!  A caprice salad!  I love the combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil...I could seriously eat it everyday :)  I know tomatoes aren't in season right now, but my hubby brought home some beautiful black heirloom tomatoes so I couldn't resist (I also saw some yummy looking tomatoes on the vine at Trader Joe's yesterday!)

I have a little bit of a cold right now, and after encouraging a friend on facebook to try a little raw garlic to shorten her cold I thought I should take my own advice!  So I used some garlic and a few slices of baguette to add to an already awesome lunch!

Ingredients for the Caprice Salad
Tomato, sliced
Fresh Mozzarella Ball, sliced
Fresh Basil, torn
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

The key to making this salad so delicious is to SEASON EVERY LAYER!!!  Start by laying a slice of tomato on a plate, season with salt and pepper.  Lay a slice of mozzarella on top of tomato, season with salt and pepper.  Lay a generous amount of basil leaves on top and then drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the basil.  You can then continue to layer each ingredient, or make a few of their own little piles!  So yummy!

Ingredients for Garlic Baguette
1 fresh baguette
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove peeled, raw garlic

Slice a few slices of the baguette on the diagonal.  Rub some olive oil on one side and put on a sheet pan (cookie sheet).  Put in oven under the broiler for about a minute.  You want a little color and for the bread to toast, but not burn.  Watch it closely!!  Take the bread out of the oven and while it is still hot rub the bread with the raw garlic.  I like to rub generously on both sides...I LOVE garlic.  If you are not so much of a garlic fan rub one side. 
I have to admit that this is a trick that I learned from Casey, I didn't come up with it on my own.  I figured you wouldn't mind because, why would you want to read a blog about a chef's wife if you weren't going to get some advice directly from a chef?!?
Want something really yummy?  Make the caprice salad on top of your garlic baguette and you can pick it up and eat it kind of like a bruschetta!  Yum!  Enjoy :)

**I am on a diet right now and wanted to be good, so I did not use any olive oil on mine (every calorie counts) and it was still really delicious, just not quite as good as it could have been :)

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