Goat Cheese and Thyme Caprese Salad

This goat cheese and thyme caprese salad was inspired by some fresh tomatoes in my garden at the end of the summer.  It is a new take on the traditional Italian caprese salad which is usually made with fresh mozzarella and basil.  Doing a little research I found out that "Caprese" or "Insalata Caprese" is named after an Island named "Capri" off the coast of Italy.  It is fitting (and coincidental) that the name of the island apparently comes from the Italian word "capra", which means "goat" and I used goat cheese in this recipe instead of the traditional mozzarella.

There is nothing like the taste of fresh tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market.  This recipe is simple and really brings out the flavour of the tomatoes without taking away from their glorious freshness!  Try it out.. experiment with different cheeses and herbs that you have in your garden and fridge!  This is a simple and elegant dish that can be served at brunch with eggs and bacon or for dinner with grilled meats.

 

Goat Cheese and Thyme Caprese Salad:

Ingredients:

- 2 large tomatoes or 3 medium (must be fresh from a garden market or heirloom from the store)

- 1 small package of goat cheese (approx. 4 oz)

- Fresh thyme

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil (if you have good Italian olive oil now is the time to use it!)

- Sea salt and pepper to taste

Step #1 Slice the tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices and arrange on a plate in a circle. 

Step #2 Slice (as best you can as it is soft) and add goat cheese in between the slices.

Step #3 break thyme (or coarsely chopped) and sprinkle over plate

Step #4 Drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over plate

* Prepare at least 10-15mins in advance so the flavours have time to absorb.  Refrigerate if longer than that and serve.

Fresh picked tomatoes from the garden

This dish pairs well with breakfast/brunch, BBQ dinners or on it's own!

I took this salad to a breakfast to serve with bacon and eggs.  Mmmm fresh and delicious.