Summer days are warm, and days often seem endless and then suddenly I glance at the clock and ask myself, “where did the day go, it’s time for dinner!” I have created the mesh of a few tastes to achieve a creative chaos in my new platter that I have been dining on this summer. Did you read the recipe title and just wonder what I am up to? After all it is not often to see a Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers on the recipe call-up. I considered everything I know about fresh mozzarella, all the rules of do’s and don’t and then, I just left my knowledge as if with reckless abandonment as summer beckons me to get creative and mix things that most of us dare not mix. I am feeling defiant, and I want to define a new standard in the kitchen for the use of fresh mozzarella. Anyone can make the basic Caprese Salad, but not everyone has tried to make a Due Forrmaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers because it seems that the STANDARD is the accepted. I say, “Oh please, let’s get real and turn it up a bit!” Meet my delectable Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers as as I lavishly live food out loud and enjoy some of the best tastes that summer offers. Manga Bene.
Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers
Used in nice little portions fresh mozzarella is great, but sometimes that plain, moist texture is just not enough against the basil and tomato. Again, I pushed the question of what if there were other mix-ins that really celebrated the season and made the Al Fresco dining a true experience rather than just adding in Olive Oil, Mozzarella and tomatoes and calling it a day. Today’s recipe celebrates the marriage of two very unlikely cheeses that when compounded(mixed) offer textures that truly create a new defition of Due FOrmaggi. The plate you are looking at, offers up many fine veggies and the crisping of some wonderful crouton smidgens left at the bottom of our Crouton container.
Cucumbers are cool, crisp and delectable and I have to tell you, I am obsessed with them. A cucumber is such a nice vegetable to give a bit of texture to any salad that you create as the CRISP bite always tastes good. I am a Cucumber SNOB, and I totally dislike regular cucumbers because I hate the seeds and how fleshy those suckers are. Look at these beatiful pickling cukes I found at a local farmers market, they are small, firm, sweet and so darn crunchy! Definitely take the skin off unless you want to burp.
Your Next Key ingredient is the tomato, and this is all a matter of preference as to ripe versus non-ripe. Personally I would prefer a NON-GUSHIE Roma Tomato over an over-ripened of fairly ripe Roma for the Caprese Salad. Remember, texture matters in making a Caprese Salad Delicious!
Formaggi is cheese in the case that you may not know and Due Formaggi is 2 Cheese. My desire to bring a more pungent taste to a basic salad without adding in salt was the initiating drive in this blend. Of course, I saw fresh cucs in my vegetable crisper and I knew that the combination just must occur. This one was a bit too ‘non-ripe’ so I started over again and ended up with the one I am about to show you on my plated up perfection.
A few nights back, I created homemade, sauteed peppers, but you can use roasted peppers, grilled peppers, whichever kind of pepper you prefer, just make sure you are not using one that is a flavored pepper in a marinate because it will take away from the natural taste sensation of this platter. This platter shows you all of the items that I had to slice into pieces. My peppers are just oozing with freshness and that is the flavor that will act as the Oil and Vinegar in this mixture. I won’t be adding in any other Oil or Vinegar-like seasoning.
Now let’s get the recipe for Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers
Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers
Ingredients
- One Pickling Cucumber Washed & Peeled
- 1/4 Romaine Lettuce Washed, and cut up
- 8 Large Basil Leaves Washed, And Cut
- Three Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls - Cut into multiple pieces
- 2 Tbsp Freshly Chunked Gorgonzola
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Sauteed Peppers grilled peppers
- 1 Roma Tomato Sliced Thin
- 3 Tbsp Crouton Crumble
- 1 Tsp of Freshly Milled Pepper Optional
Instructions
- Grab your favorite dinner plate, slice those cucumbers thin, add to plate.
- Now add your tomatoes, but cut half them, rather than leaving round slices.
- Place your Peppers on the plate and spread them across a section of the plate.
- The middle of the plate should be free of anything as you can see in my photo.
- Mix the basil and romaine together and make sure it is all bite size.
- Sprinkle the Gorgonzola Across the Romaine and Basil
- Add the Crouton Crumble
- Add the Freshly Milled Pepper if you chose to add this
- If you are eating this yourself, feel free to mix these items all around. I would also suggest if you are serving this, once it makes its appearance to go ahead and mix it up as the pepper juice creates a fabulous natural flavor.
This is an absolutely delectable salad which combines many great vegetables and flavors into one simple plate. I simply take a fork dip my tine into a tomato, a piece of cheese and a bit of lettuce and then repeat. While I don’t eat meat, and this is a meatless meal, you can make this into a heartier antipasti by adding some of those famous Italian cold cuts like Mortadella, Sopresseta, etc. to change it up a bit. This is perfect with a glass of wine, or a a mixed drink. If you are feeling very hungry and can afford the carbs, add these items to some fresh ciabatta or baguette. The Due Formaggi Caprese Salad With Cucumbers offers you the best of summer while not being too very heavy, yet oh so satisfying. Lavishly live al fresco dining out loud enjoying a delicious salad that combines 2 extremely different cheese to achieve a most remarkable taste.
What items do you create a Caprese Salad With?