Peach Caprese with Basil Vinagrette

The star of the dish is this basil vinaigrette. You can use this on chicken or shrimp. You can drizzle it right over some mozzarella or use it in a salad. Or even put it on your favorite Margherita pizza. It’s light, but packed with flavor. It takes just placing some fresh basil leaves on top and giving it a punch. In this dish the peaches give a nice sweetness to the caprese salad. It’s perfect for those summer days. But the vinaigrette can be used year round.

Ingredients:

- Fresh Mozzarella

- Yellow Peaches

- Tomatoes - I use the Jersey tomatoes

- Basil Verde * see recipe below

- Honey

- Sea Salt & Cracked pepper

Basil Verde:

- Fresh basil leaves: 1 cup

- Toasted pine nuts: 1/4 cup

( To toast your pine nuts just add them to a dry sauté pan on medium high heat and mix around until slightly brown and toasted, being careful not to burn )

- Lemon: squeeze of 1/2 a lemon

- Minced Garlic: 1 tsp

- Olive oil: 1/4 cup

- Apple cider vinegar: 1 tbsp

- Dried oregano: 1 tsp

- Dried parsley: 1 tsp

- Garlic powder: 1 tsp

- Onion powder: 1 tsp

- Dried rosemary: 1/2 tsp

- White sugar: 1/2 tbsp

- Red pepper flakes: 1/2 tsp

- Salt & Pepper: 1/2 tsp of each

*Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth - the consistency should be similar to a vinaigrette

*I like to chill mine in the fridge before using

Slice your tomatoes, mozzarella & peaches

Add your peaches to your grill or grill pan and cook until grill marks appear on both sides about 2 minutes

Assembly:

Plate with a slice of tomato then mozzarella then peach repeating in a circle; You can also serve this over arugula or spinach as a salad

Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flake & dried parsley

Drizzle with honey & basil verde