I promised the fam that when I got home I would make them an Italian dinner with some of the things that I loved best while eating my way through Sicily so last night we gathered together and dined Italian style out on our deck in the beautiful Spring weather!  First up, Caprese Salad which I ate a lot of in both this form and in sandwiches.  They all seemed a little unsure of this one but they all tried it and all loved it even Courtney who is the pickiest among our family.  It’s super easy to make but I went to the Food Network site just to make sure I was doing it right.

3 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ thick slices

1 pound fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/4″ thick slices (I actually found fresh Mozzarella at Costco and bonus, it was already sliced!)

20 – 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil (I found a fresh basil plant at Winco that you just keep in water and cut leaves off as you need them, smells so good!)

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

salt and pepper

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and Mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each (the basil leaves were so huge that I cut them up rather than put a whole leaf on each, didn’t want anyone freaked out by too much basil their first time around), on a large, shallow platter.  Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.