Caprese Salad

By Paul Briand

It's not often that you'd describe something you ate as refreshing. Satisfying, certainly. But refreshing?

Yet that was the case the other evening when we sat down to eat after an afternoon in the summer heat at a Boston Red Sox - Texas Rangers baseball game in Fenway Park.

My sister Margaret served a Caprese Salad that was refreshing in its burst of tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil.

Here's her version of a Rachel Ray recipe:

Ingredients

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices

1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices

20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Coarse salt and pepper

Directions

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf on top, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Margaret says she changes it up a bit by drizzling a dressing made of olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of just olive oil.

Perfecto.