This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe is a mozzarella, tomato, and strawberry salad. Start with sliced strawberries and grape tomatoes. Toss them lightly with salt, pepper, and a few drops of olive oil. Serve the strawberries and tomatoes alongside fresh mozzarella di bufala. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of fresh basil. The recipe calls for a few crushed pink peppercorns, but I don’t have any and didn’t want to buy them to use just a few.
We had mixed feelings about this recipe. We liked the flavors well enough. I especially liked the flavors of the strawberry and mozzarella di bufala together. But I didn’t really care for the tomatoes with the strawberries. Both my husband and I prefer a more traditional caprese salad with peak-of-season tomatoes. I think the main problem we had with this recipe was our expectations. We expect a salad of this type to be a certain way, and the strawberries threw us for a curve.
While enjoyed eating this salad and I’m glad I made it, I doubt that I will make it again. I will wait until our garden tomatoes reach their peak and make a caprese salad that meets our expectations.
From Scratch 
Your salad looks gorgeous.
I think that variations of a favourite recipe can be hard to accept. I was surprised at how much I liked this, but I’ve never been much of a Caprese salad person.
I am a huge caprese salad fan, I wonder if I would have mixed feelings as well. Hmm, only one way to find out I suppose! ; )
Tricia and I had a split decision on the recipe. I’m with you on this
about the strawberries, I’m just not used to having them in this type of
salad. One thing I do love is the di bufala mozzarella cheese. The
first time I ever tasted it was in Italy and I loved it. Great picture.
My husband felt the same way. I think he had his mind set on a traditional caprese salad. I loved it and am going to make it tonight again!
I liked it, but just because I wanted to play the contrast between the fruits. I love tomatoes and strawberries with balsamic; maybe that was the clincher.
Hmmm. I like the addition of the strawberries (but because I am not a huge tomato girl). I do wish that both strawberries and tomatoes were in season together – I would like to try this with both at the peak of freshness.
It is such a pretty salad, no?