Insalata Caprese Salad

I scored some fresh veggies from a co-worker on Friday. She brought a ton of stuff to the office and I chose the jalapenos, tomatoes and two bell peppers. Saturday I hit the farmers market with my friend Taylor and just couldn't pass up the red snapper again. Jim and I enjoyed it so much last month that I'm going to repeat that red snapper meal. New from this trip is a different cut of lamb. I previously made the lamb chops which turned out really well, but now I'm going to attempt grass fed lamb ribs.


I was so inspired by the fresh produce and localy raised meat that I decided to start the herb garden I've been talking about doing for so long. Breed and Co. is the cutest garden store in Austin (one of the cutest) and I purchased rosemary, basil, chive, sage and mint. I'm really hoping I can keep these alive, it would be fantastic to cook from the plants in my garden.



It was just me for dinner tonight and with so many fresh ingredients on hand I craved a light and easy dinner that Jim would absolutely hate. Here is what I started with.



Fresh basil from Talor's herb garden. Thanks so much Taylor!! A fresh tomato from my co-worker, fresh mozzarella and a small dish of greek olives.


These were beautiful tomatoes. I'm planning on using the other tomatoes on a homemade pizza with mozzarella and homemade pesto. That post to come. I used about four basil leaves from Taylor and rolled them up like a cigar, then chopped into shreds. Drizzel with olive oil, salt and cracked pepper. Look how beautiful this salad turned out.

Here I made some crispy pita chips by lightly brushing pita bread with the following mixture:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup olive oil

I baked mine on a pizza pan so it could cook on both sides. Although half way through the cooking process I flipped the pita chips. 350 degree oven, about 7 -10 minutes each side.





Along with my dainty salad dinner I had a glass of this buttery Chardonnay from Geyser Peak. I stumbled upon this winery in California one vacation and gosh it was a great find. My favorite bottle from Geyser Peak is their port. Holy cow that stuff is good. This Chardonnay is fruit forward with pear and hints of peach. It has a nice oak taste and a crisp citrus ending. I describe it as being a "clean" wine. It's soft and buttery and then the finish is short and crisp. Lovely.

So here we are. My lovely dinner for one. Insalata Caprese Salad, pita chips, greek olives and a glass of chardonnay. Okay, I had two glasses.