Caprese Salad with Grilled Eggplant

I have so many recipes and photos to post that I don't know where to begin! So I'll start with the Caprese Salad. Right now there is an abundance of eggplant, tomatoes and basil. Perfect for a light, summer meal. For this you'll need the best fresh mozzarella you can buy, some good olive oil, sea salt and good quality balsamic vinegar. *See my recipe published HERE in the Whole Foods Franklin online community site.

First prep your cheese, tomatoes and basil. Set aside. Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and grill until desired tenderness. On a platter layer your ingredients, beginning with eggplant, then cheese (the hot eggplant will slightly melt the cheese), basil and tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.


Variations - if you have time, reduce the vinegar to a thick, yummy syrup! This is traditional but not necessary. The point of this salad is to keep it fresh, raw and quick!

Broil - you could also broil this dish if you want it warmed through and the cheese extra melty (is that a word?).

Enjoy!