MEDITERRANEAN CAPRESE SALAD

I have to tell you I am pretty excited!  Why?  I believe I have just come up with the recipe for my new favorite salad.  Salads are what I believe I do best.  I just love to use all the different combinations of fresh vegies, fruit, pastas, cheeses, meats, etc...to come up a a never ending list of recipes for new salads.  I wish there was a show on the Food Network called " Who Can Come Up With the Best Salad"....and we could just have at all the food in the pantry and fridge.  I am confident I would win (ha,ha,ha). Anyway...back to the new recipe I came up with...it is for a Mediterranean Caprese Salad.  A Caprese Salad is so simple.  You must use the best ingredients to make the salad the best; tomatoes, mozerella cheese, basil and olive oil.  Honestly, it is the most simple salad to make, but it also ranks up there as the most delicious.  I have "one upped" the basic Caprese Salad by adding a bunch of yummy Mediterranean ingredients and placing it all atop some fresh baby greens.  Honestly, I could eat this salad every day.  I served it for my son's baptism dinner along with Roasted Honey/Butter Rubbed Turkey Breast, Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Penne Pasta w/ Vodka Sauce, Prociutto and Shallots (I will post this recipe soon) and a really tasty Chickpea Salad (I will post this recipe soon as well).  You could do this salad with a really simple grilled piece of chicken, steak or porkchop and the dinner could not be beat.  I am actually going to be making it for my nieces highschool graduation party.  The main course at the graduation party is a hog roast.  Basically this salad is so good you could serve it along side of anything...it is not only tasty, but versatile as well.  Please try this recipe....I think you will find it will rank right up there as one of your favorites!


MEDITERRANEAN CAPRESE SALAD  

* I quadrupoled this recipe to make enough for about 30 people.  I tried to break down the recipe so that it would feed about 6 - 8  people as a side dish.

• 2 cups grape tomatoes (halved crosswise)
• 1 cup mini mozerella cheese balls (drained)
• 1/2 cup spanish green olives
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 cup quarterd artichoke hearts
• 1 cup sliced hearts of palm (can buy them pre-sliced or slice them yourself)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil - chopped or just tear with hands into rough pieces
• 1/4 cup really good olive oil
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
• salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
• 5 cups baby spring greens

1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the baby spring greens. 
2. Toss well and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
3. Let sit for about 10 minutes or place in fridge for up to 4 hours.  If placed in fridge take out before serving and let it get to room temp.
4. Place the 5 cups of baby spring greens in a platter that has at least 2 inch high sides.  Place the tomato mixture over the greens.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.