Caprese salad is certainly no new creation, but I loved the way Fine Cooking turned it from a salad course to an easy-to-eat appetizer so much that I knew I had to make them! I adore caprese salad – you just can’t go wrong with fresh mozzarella and basil with home-grown tomatoes. Add a salty slice of prosciutto and that pretty much seals the deal for me.

I found that their recipe amounts weren’t very accurate, however, so be cautious in following their recipe to a T. A pint of tomatoes, a small container of fresh mozzarella and two packages of prosciutto were just about right. The basil came from my garden so not certain how much you’d need to buy, but any sized package should do; just cut a bit smaller if you need more and vice versa. Caprese salad is very forgiving, so don’t worry about getting the exact same amounts of everything in every bite – a little more or a little less of basil or prosciutto just won’t matter. :-)

In addition to those changes, I also added a quick balsamic reduction for an extra layer of flavor. The first time I made them was for a casual barbecue at a friend’s house, and that time I made them as is (which is great just on its own). But I was hired to cook for a dinner party so I thought the addition of the balsamic would be a nice touch. It went over like gang busters – all the guests were commenting on how amazing this tasted, and everyone wanted to know what the sauce was. It’s simple to do: put a good balsamic vinegar in a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a strong simmer until it reduces to about half. When it coats the back of a spoon – this is called a “nappé” consistency – it’s ready. It also thickens as it cools and will become syrupy – it’s SO GOOD!! I just placed the sauce in a small bowl in the center of the platter and let the guests dip away.

Enjoy, and Happy Summer!