Caprese Salad w. Basil, Tomato, Mozzarella, Arugula, Roasted Red Peppers & Olives

I want to be able to write about Mike Scap in a way that honors his memory, and I’m nervous that I won’t do him justice. I want to be able to memorialize his quirky antics, laughable obsessions, insatiable wanderlust, & unparalleled skills in enough detail to grant him the recognition that he earned, but never wanted. I want to tell you his Moose Joke. I want to tell you about his hilarious disregard for science, most specifically H2O. I want to reminisce about collecting feathers for him as a child so that he could craft custom fishing lures. I want to describe the oil/water dynamic between the two men sitting at opposite ends of the table during holiday dinners. I really, really want to tell you about the squirrels.  I’ve started this post a hundred times, only to hit the backspace button until my thumb began to callous. The truth is, my efforts to write about his life are destined to fail, as there are only two languages capable of accurately describing the life of Mike Scap: guitar & olives.

 

The Scap Way

There are very few things that I had in common with my uncle (I lack musical talent, believe in evolution, and do not possess any feelings of resentment toward animals of the sciuridae family). However, he and I shared a love of olives that often resulted in competition, laughs, and occasional sabotage.  On holidays, we raced to my grandmother’s house, knowing full well that whoever arrived first would surely find the salad, pick out all of the olives, and leave the remnants behind for everyone else.

Collectively, we were adult versions of the child that you despised as a youngster – the one who would deny any wrongdoing when you confronted them about WHY THE HELL there were no marshmallows left in the Lucky Charms.

I imagine that olives just won’t taste as good now that I don’t have to fight for them. As one last tribute, I’ve included them in this dish, regardless of whether or not it strays from the iconic Caprese recipe. Afterall, this is caprese done the right way. The Scap Way.

The Recipe

This recipe  is relatively easy to follow, and like many Italian dishes, there’s always room for adjustments, substitutions, modifications, and of course – garlic. Feel free to change it around as needed to suit your specific tastes.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes (on the vine)
• Mozzarella (fresh)
• Mozzarella Pearls (fresh)
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Black Olives
• Arugula (aka: rocket)
• Balsamic Reduction (optional)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

 

Steps

1. Lay out a bed of arugula on a large serving dish or platter. Season to taste with Salt & Pepper.
2. Slice Mozzarella & Tomatoes into 1/2 cm wide slices. Starting from the outer rim of the plate, arrange alternating sequences of Tomatoes and Mozz. in a circular pattern around the dish until you’ve completed a full circle. Using the same process, create a second, smaller circle inside the first.
3. A small section of arugula should remain in the center of the dish – cover this area with Roasted Red Peppers, top with Mozzarella Pearls, and rim the outside with black olives.
4. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, occasionally tucking them between mozz/tomato slices for a satisfying visual effect.
5. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and/or balsamic reduction.
6. Enjoy 🙂