Improv Caprese

If you are truly a kitchen beginner, I totally understand if even the thought of turning on the stove can be intimidating.  It is incredibly hot, to be fair.  So maybe start in the kitchen with a no-heat meal.  And no, I don’t mean throwing something in the microwave, nor do I mean a boring old salad.

What I mean is obtaining a small number of really high-quality ingredients that are completely delicious on their own, and putting them on a plate in a way that looks appealing.  I’ll have a lot of those examples as time goes on, because these processes also take less time than take-out on a busy weeknight or lazy afternoon.

In the picture above, I had 2 pretty large heirloom tomatoes, which I’d recommend to only purchase in the summer when they are at their meatiest.  We’re at the tail end of tomato season now, so take advantage while you still can!  The closer in proximity to the farm you are, the less likely it is that the tomatoes have ever seen cold-storage, which basically destroys the texture.  Get them in the winter, when they are waterlogged and mealy and flown from another hemisphere, and you may never listen to a word I say again (don’t tell me I didn’t warn you).

When you get home from purchasing those tomatoes, don’t you dare put them in the fridge.  If you must store them for a day or two, do so stem-side down in a cool spot, away from other fruits.  Fruits like peaches and bananas produce ethylene, which can cause your tomatoes to soften overnight.  Best practice is to use them immediately, which makes total sense since they are super hard to resist anyway.

Using a very sharp and/or serrated knife, slice those tomatoes into generously thick pieces from top to bottom.  I like my slices about a half-inch thick, maybe more.  Layer the slices evenly on a pretty plate- bonus points for having a nice mix of colors.  Presentation is important here, because even the slightest effort makes food more appealing, which means the pickier among us are more likely to try something new.

From here you can add whatever sounds good, but I like a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil (the kind for dressing, not the kind for cooking.  More on that later.) and some flaky salt, like Maldon sea salt.  Carelessly scatter some basil, which you don’t even need to slice- just rip into smaller pieces.  Finally, choose a cheese.  I like burrata because of the varieties of textures, and because I feel like I’m playing with play-dough as I pull it apart with my fingers.  Plop the cheese in effortless chunks on top of the tomatoes.

This meal could serve two with a chunk of baguette on the side, or you could happily eat the whole thing like I did.  Who says a nourishing meal has to be cooked?