The Last Caprese Salad

Today is the first day of fall & I am afraid this is the last time I'll see a beautiful plate of fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and basil from our garden until next summer. The basil that hasn't gone to seed is starting to turn brown and our tomatoes are starting to crack from the moisture in the morning air. Last week we savored every bit of this yummy caprese salad. So tasty, so simple and so summer!



Caprese Salad

1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced
small handful of fresh basil (about 10 leaves)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Arrange tomato slices, mozzarella slices and basil leaves on a plate. I like to layer mine in an alternating pattern. Drizzle with olive oil & season with salt & pepper.

Note: You can also drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top, but we prefer ours with just some really good olive oil.

Dish of the Week: Tilapia with Zucchini and Tomatoes

It doesn't get much easier than this fish recipe...and I've been known to kill a good piece of fish. Cooking with parchment paper sounds fancy, but it's not. And it makes clean up a whole lot simpler. We buy frozen tilapia fillets and have always had good luck with them. You could certainly use fresh tilapia for this recipe, but make sure you cut back on the baking time.




Tilapia with Zucchini and Tomatoes

2 tilapia fillets (frozen)
2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking dish with large sheet of parchment paper (big enough to fold up fish and vegetables). Lay fish on top of parchment paper and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cover fillets with zucchini, tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a little more salt and pepper. Wrap the fish in the parchment by first folding in the two short sides and then the two longer sides...creating a pouch. It does not need to be snug. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Fish is fully cooked when it flakes with a fork.

Serve with steamed rice.

Here's another veggie dish you'll love!