Bistro OneSix

not so special caprese salad

There’s certainly nothing earth-shattering about this post. It’s a simple caprese salad. No new twist on it. Nothing unexpected. Just the traditional sliced tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella, basil with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic (this time, white) and maybe a generous grind of black pepper over the top.

So what made me think this is post worthy?

Perhaps as I set it on the dining room table the other night it was the cast of the sun on the plate, reminding me that it’s getting darker earlier these days that caused me to grab my camera.

Perhaps it’s because the tomatoes and basil are the products of the first year of our  community garden and I remember the day I planted these seedlings – the tomatoes which were started from seed by my dad and passed along – what seems like a whole summer ago. I can still smell the tomato plants on my skin and I almost always trail my hands as I walk down the row of basil.

Perhaps it’s because the nights are subtly starting to get cooler. The kind of nights where you go to bed with just the sheets on but wake in the morning to find that you’ve pulled the blanket up somewhere along the way.

Probably because caprese salad to me is the epitome of summer and in embracing it, I am embracing everything above for the few more weeks that I have it.