Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Caprese Salad to Beat the Summer Heat

Mindy here and we are definitely in the dog days of summer.
104 in the shade. :0
Then again, this is Texas, the Lone Star State. Home of longhorns, wind farms, oil wells... And heat and humidity. Not that any of that can diminish our Texas pride. So I can’t help but give you a glimpse of our new front doors that arrived last week.

Still, when it’s this hot, the last thing I want to do is cook. So we settled for caprese salad instead. I mean when something this good is so easy, not to mention cold, why not?

First, we need some yummy tomatoes. Like this Campari variety.
Very tasty.
 
Chop three or four of those babies and toss them together with some cubed fresh mozzarella.
Fresh mozzarella is the kind that comes in a ball, not a brick. Very soft with a mild flavor.
 
Then we add some chopped basil, a bit of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and some fresh ground pepper.
Toss it all up and voila!
Heaven in a bowl.

You know, even though I complain about the heat,

there's still plenty to enjoy here at the ranch. Like some creative photography on the pier.
Not to mention another gorgeous sunset.
Yep, when I've got things like this to help me beat the heat, I'd say life at the ranch suits me just fine.

Speaking of ranches, have I mentioned my latest release? This is the first book in my Rocky Mountain Heroes series and, as of today, it’s available on Kindle and other e-book versions, as well as paperback.

Isn't that a great cover?

Now it's your turn.
What's your favorite hot-weather dish?





Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband and the last of her five children. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 




13 comments:

  1. For a second there I thought you added cubed tofu to that salad. Bwahahahahaha! But then I realized it was Mindy posting and she doesn't do tofu. Snicker. Mozzarella is a much better mix, I think. Haven't heard of those kind of tomatoes but this simple salad sounds really refreshing! We're experiencing a heatwave too...nothing like your 104 in the shade though. You'd probably think it was fine spring weather up here!

    And guess who has read Their Ranch Reunion? My review and giveaway will be up tomorrow. Loved it -- kitchen reno. I fell in love with Andrew the way he handled Carly's indecision. They weren't even a couple yet but they sailed through that reno thanks to his creativity and patience. :-)

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    1. Kav, you obviously know me well. No tofu in my diet.

      Camparis are just a variety of tomato. Small, not like grape or cherry tomatoes, though, but a sweeter flavor than other slicing tomatoes. You could also use romas.

      So glad you enjoyed the book. You've made my day.

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  2. Congrats on your August release! I'll pick it up the next time I'm at the store. :)

    Our current heat wave is supposed to be ending tonight (yay!) and we're expecting sweater-weather in the evenings for the rest of the week. Low's in the 50's and 60's...Love it!

    The salad looks so simple! Cool and refreshing. :)

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    1. Jan, you have me envious. Sweater weather sounds amazing. However, they did say we may cool down to the upper 80s late this week. I'm not holding my breath, but will relish it if it happens.

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  3. Congrats on the new release!

    I love your new doors!! How fun! :) Also love this salad. I adore fresh mozzarella. Will make this!

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    1. Also meant to say I love that brand of tomatoes. They're so, so good!

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    2. They're about the only variety I buy, Missy. I'm not a huge tomato fan, but I love these. Especially with fresh mozzarella. That stuff is the best!

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  4. Hmmmm, Miss Mindy. I'm not sure which I like more, the doors or the salad. I love those doors!

    And the salad, well caprese salad is one of my favorites. especially when it's layered in a baguette as a sandwich!

    Hope your heat wave breaks soon!

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    1. Oh, Mary Cate, that's one of my favorite sandwiches, too. When we were at RWA in NYC, one of the shops in the hotel sold a flatbread one that was amazing.

      As for the doors, they were kind of my dream door. From the moment we started talking about building, later renovating, I knew these were the doors I wanted. Luckily, hubby liked them, too, making him more inclined to say yes to my request. Especially when we found them at a good price.

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  5. I'm late to this, but I'm in love with that salad, Mindy. It looks marvelous, and I'm not even going to mention the temps...

    OY.

    This is why my Westerns are always northern cowboys... because I can't honestly deal with the heat of the deep Southwest! So my guys are tackling snowstorms and floods and winds, etc... I can make that real. That 105 stuff is off my radar.

    Congratulations on your Rocky Mountain cowboys!!! I love that cover, and love seeing your name on it!

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    1. Ruthy, 105 shouldn't be on anybody's radar unless they live in Death Valley. I mean 90 is hot, but once it hits 100, it's downright oppressive. Air conditioning is my friend.

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