Summertime

Wow! It is already mid summer and I've been busy in the small garden outside my library window. So far the harvest has been tasty, vine-ripened tomatoes, a special Greek type of cucumber and loads of basil, mint, parsley and thyme.

All those fresh tomatoes and basil mean summer meals with my favorite Caprese Salad. To make this delicious salad, round up the best,full-of-flavor summer tomatoes you can find and a handful of green, leafy Italian basil, along with a big ball of soft, Buffalo mozzarella. (This isn't the traditional mozzarella used in pizza making. This mozzarella is soft and white and usually comes packaged in a cup filled with a salty brine to keep it fresh longer.)

To make the salad, slice one or two of the juicy, meaty tomatoes on a plate. Add a sprinkling of sea salt. Then top each tomato slice with a slice of the Buffalo mozzarella. (Hint: use a wire cheese slicer or a piece of unwaxed floss or thread to easily cut the cheese into slices.)

Then slide a few leaves of fresh basil between the tomato and the mozzarella and continue around the plate. Add another sprinkling of sea salt and ground, black pepper. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and dashes of white or dark balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve with crusty bread.