Some might say summer never truly arrived here in British Columbia, what with all the wind and rain and greyness we experienced over the last several months. It's been a fairly dismal season for the tomatoes, which have been excrutiatingly slow to ripen. But when they do, oh man, is it worth it. This insalata caprese is what I made myself for dinner tonight, as a final farewell to the season that never was.
Nothing special in the making of it: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, s&p, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. What was special was that the tomatoes and the basil both came from the garden, and the mozzarella I made myself this afternoon with my brand new Mozzarella and Ricotta kit from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. Cheesemaking if one of those things that I always said I would do "one day". As with so many other little gastro-projects, it was reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that finally pushed me to do it. I can happily say that the mozzarella I've made so far is the best mozzarella I've tasted. I like it more than the mozzarella di bufala that they ship in from Italy, which is a huge relief, because that stuff is damned expensive.
Goodbye summer, and when you show up here next time, put on your good dress, won't you? That grey, damp number you wore this year just didn't cut it.
Love the tomato, basil and cheese salad. Made it alot this summer and I am sad to see it come to an end.
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Posted by: Sharona May | September 27, 2007 at 05:47 PM