Caprese Salad in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

One of my absolute favorite things about summer is eating homegrown tomatoes right off the vine, still warm from the sun, juicy, and full of flavor. We planted four varieties of tomatoes this year and I used some of each to make my take on a caprese salad, served in a mini sourdough bread bowl. It was the perfect summer meal. 

There isn't a recipe, per se. I cut a bunch of tomatoes into chunks (and halved the cherry tomatoes), put them in a bowl, then added a generous amount of high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I added a dash of salt and some pepper and mixed thoroughly. I cut basil (also fresh from the garden) into a chiffonade and added it. I spooned the mixture into individual bread bowls, adding the liquid as well. Then I topped each with a few spoons of ricotta cheese. Fresh mozzarella is traditional in caprese salad, but ricotta makes a really nice substitute. 

Our garden is still going strong following last week's crazy heat wave and record-breaking temperatures, so I'm hoping to have caprese salads for another few weeks.