It’s that time of year again. Every time I glance out the back window I see little red spheres waiting to be picked. There is nothing quite like pulling a cherry tomato straight from the plant that has been in the warm sun all day. That sweet, juicy bite with just a bit of crunch. I remember when my youngest would eat them like candy.
This year, like my entire garden, my cherry tomato plant is thriving. It’s beyond thriving. It’s enormous and is taking over my garden. I spent sometime this weekend trying to add more stakes to hold up the heavy stems that are unable to withstand the weight of those abundant tomatoes. I waded through the plant, plucking off the ripest fruits one by one.
I happened to have some fresh basil and had just picked up some fresh mozzarella from the grocery store. That made the evenings side dish an easy choice. A little spin on the caprese salad.
This just takes a few minutes to whip up. Tastes best if it has a bit to chill before serving.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, diced (I love the mozzarella pearls, makes it super easy)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used about 25), halved
This is pretty simple… Add all ingredients except cherry tomatoes and mozzarella to a bowl and mix well. Have you seen these things? These are used all summer long when we can use fresh herbs from the garden. They make chopping them so easy!
Add the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. Stir gently to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving if you can.
Enjoy! It tastes like summer!