This is the full hybrid — instead of choosing between the classic caprese tomato and the fig twist, you get both. Sliced tomatoes and quartered figs sit side by side on the platter, doing similar work from opposite directions: the tomatoes bring acidity, the figs bring sweetness, and the mozzarella sits in the middle soaking up both.
The oil is what keeps two very different fruits speaking the same language. It rounds off the tomato's sharpness and keeps the fig's sweetness from taking over, so nothing tips the dish too far in either direction. It's doing double duty on the nutrition side too — tomatoes carry lycopene and mozzarella carries vitamin A, and both need a little fat around to be put to good use, which is exactly what's happening here.
Salt goes on last, and generously — it's what turns "sweet and tangy" into "savory," pulling the tomato, fig, and cheese into one dish instead of three separate flavors.
Serve this as a light main with crusty bread, or as a starter before something grilled.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 5 ripe fresh figs, halved or quartered
- 2 cups (about 300g) cherry or heirloom tomatoes, halved or sliced
- 2 balls fresh mozzarella (about 4 oz/120g each), torn into chunks
- A small handful fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Method
- Halve or quarter the figs. Halve or slice the tomatoes. Arrange both together on a platter.
- Tear the mozzarella into rough chunks and tuck them in among the fruit.
- Scatter the basil over the top, drizzle with the olive oil, and finish with the sea salt just before serving.