Caprice Salad - My Way

Last night I was cooking my usual meatloaf when I thought it might be nice to have a simple salad to go with it as the meat by itself felt a bit too heavy on the palate. Since my hubby dear is on a no-carb-after-lunch diet, the salad had to be devoid of pasta/potato etc. Unfortunately the thought had to crop up when I was almost done baking the meatloaf so I had to whip up something fast.

Rainy season in Bangladesh is not the best time for vegetable especially ones suitable for salad. I am a bit weary about having raw lettuce during this time fearing any kind of tummy problem. I thought tomatoes would be a good and safe bet. The tomatoes during this season are fairly firm making it a good candidate for my Caprice salad. It is easy to make and I love the fresh taste. If you do not have Mozarella cheese, you can try feta or even good old Dhakai Cheese (Dhakai ponir) or the home made paneer. All of them works just fine.

Caprice Salad
Serves 4

Ripe Medium Sized Tomatoes - 6 (cut into bite size cubes)
Dried Oregano or Mixed Italian Herb - 1/3 teaspoon (you can use fresh oregano if desired)
Freshly ground black pepper - 1/3 teaspoon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
Balsamic Vinegar - 1 1/2 tablespoon (I used a lovely date palm or kejur juice vinegar which you can get at Agora. If you do not have balsamic vinegar try using a red vinegar not white ones)
Salt to taste
Finely sliced garlic - 1 pod
Mozarella Cheese - 1/3 cup (chopped into bite size cubes) - add more if desired
Red Chili flakes - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Cocktail Olives - 10-15 (optional. You can also give whole olives preserved in oil/brine)

1. Mix well the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and dried herb together in a salad bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If you want you can also add a bit of red chili flake (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bruise the garlic slices slightly while mixing. Let the salad dressing sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes, fresh oregano (if using), Mozarella, optional olives, into the dressing mixture. Mix them gently so that the dressing coats the tomatoes and cheese properly. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

3. Serve the salad garnished with fresh or dried herb and/or Olives. The salad is great with all kind of meat and pasta dishes.

Enjoy!!!

Note: I have also at times torn bite size bits of a stale (day or two old) country bread or baguette into this salad. In that case you may have to make some extra dressing as the bread will soak it up. This makes the salad hearty enough for a light lunch.