On weekend mornings, Colgate University students flock to “downtown” Hamilton for coffees, bagels and a little pre-study treat. As students migrate to town, many wind up at the farmers market. On Saturdays, between May and October, the town’s center is filled with vendors selling floral arrangements, baked goods, homemade chili, fresh vegetables, fruits and more.
An easy recipe to make use of some of the farmers market finds, is the classic, light and fresh caprese salad. The key ingredient in this dish is heirloom tomatoes, so make this recipe as soon as possible; some people are already saying that the 2025 tomato season has come to an end. If you can find good, fresh heirloom tomatoes, I recommend that you pick the ugliest ones — they taste the best according to scientific research. The unattractive tomatoes lack the genetic mutation that gives them the red, plump appearance that many grocery shoppers seek. Thus, the homegrown tomatoes are where it’s at. Otherwise, a store bought one will do, but I can’t promise it will deliver the sweet, acidic and earthy taste that you’re looking for in the perfect tomato.
The next ingredient, which can also be found at the farmers market (with some determination), is a bunch of basil. Make sure to choose leaves that are fresh and aromatic. A bunch costs less than five dollars and serves a dual purpose as a room freshener while you wait to make your salad; if you try hard enough, you could make the case for your roommate to split the cost of the delightfully fragrant basil with you. Basil’s sweet and almost-minty flavor pays homage to the summer we are leaving behind, but its peppery undertones will gently guide you into the crisp fall.
This recipe, from the iconic New York Times reporter and columnist, Melissa Clark, yields the perfect caprese salad by notably omitting the tangy balsamic vinegar, familiar to many of the salad’s frequent consumers. This allows the tomatoes to really shine. It also leaves no excuse for picky eaters to avoid this deliciously simple dish (unless you have tomato aversion – in which case, this recipe cannot save your palate).
Ingredients:
- One pound fresh mozzarella (buffalo milk)
- Four medium heirloom tomatoes
- One bunch of fresh basil, leaves only
- Flake salt
- Ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Slice the mozzarella into quarter-inch slices.
- Slice the tomatoes into quarter-inch to half-inch slices and sprinkle with salt.
- Arrange mozzarella, tomato and whole basil leaves. Before putting the cutting board in the sink, pour out any tomato juice onto the salad (you don’t want to waste a bit of that juicy flavor).
- Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and lots of oil. Put a few smaller basil shreds on top.
- Enjoy cold. Eat within an hour.
Even as the tomato season passes us by and as the farmers market goes on hiatus, be sure to look for ways to shop local. Food tastes better when the trip from farm to table is as short as possible.
