Summer Arrives
The first real selection of heirloom tomatoes showed up at the Napa Farmer’s Market this morning. For me that means my
mozzarella fresca budget is about to go through the roof. More-or-less daily now through the end of the tomato season an
Insalata Caprese will be the first course at dinner in our house. To me it is a perfect dish.
There is nothing simpler or more delicious to make. All it requires is:
- perfect tomatoes
- fresh, creamy mozzarella
- fresh basil
- fresh, vibrant extra virgin olive oil (hopefully as fresh as the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella)
- salt and pepper
…and
basta.
Learn to leave such a dish alone. Restaurants can’t seem to keep their hands off such perfection and add, add, add: ending up only subtracting and distracting. This is a lesson we winemakers should also learn. Sometimes leaving something alone requires more courage and attention to detail than doing more and more.
The problem with simplicity is there is nothing to hide behind.
