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Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine Blogging

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I have a tendency to overshare on the blog.

This simple summer dish combines sun-ripened tomatoes, tangy mozzarella, and fresh basil for an easy and elegant salad which comes together in mere minutes.

I ramble a lot and make far too many inappropriate jokes about lascivious wassails. I try to shower you with a holy crapton of food, while mesmerizing you with my ridiculously sweet dance moves. Move over Tina Turner.

I like to broadcast my veggie loving ways, and will happily shout it from the rooftops, preferably with a fun and flirty cocktail in hand. Last weekend, my grocery store list was veggies and booze. Totally legit.   

In addition to the easy, breezy, and beautiful stuff though, I put pen to paper, or really fingers to keyboard, to document my less than savory days too. You know the days I’m talking about because we all have them: the days you walk into a wall and then find yourself on the floor in a heap sobbing for no real reason, the days you want to smack Pharrell and his happy little self upside his head, the days you say good-bye to a good friend, and the ones where you find yourself stuck in a rut.

Those days are legit.  

This simple summer dish combines sun-ripened tomatoes, tangy mozzarella, and fresh basil for an easy and elegant salad which comes together in mere minutes.

While my anti-aging self shudders to say this, I’ve been around long enough to know that’s normal. The only thing you can count on in life is you will get thrown curveballs and lots of them. Sometimes you’ll swing and miss and other times, you’ll knock that sucker out of the park. It helps if you know how to hold a bat though.

Back to the point of this post (I swear I have one): I don’t blog through those days like they don’t exist. I’m not a highlight reel, and I’m not going to force feed you cake, when I’m really feeling beer and biscuits.

The bottom line is what you see on my blog is what you get. It’s ME, through and through. I’m a list lover, a planner and a pocket sized introvert. I abhor last minute plan changes, adore controlling everything and clean compulsively when I’m stressed.

My recipes are also ME. They’re about whole foods and real ingredients, with dollops of cheese. They’re the meals I eat day in and day out, whether it be because I love artichokes or because I got yet another cabbage in my CSA. Damn cabbage.

If I made food with only my audience in mind, I’d have to switch over to protein powder, egg whites and nutritional yeast, and that’s never gonna happen because at the end of the day, I gotta be real and true to myself.   

This simple summer dish combines sun-ripened tomatoes, tangy mozzarella, and fresh basil for an easy and elegant salad which comes together in mere minutes.

The reason I’m sharing all of this is because if you’re a blogger, I would strongly encourage you to be YOU.

Be real, be open, be genuine.

Ditch the formula, the premade strategy for success and instead write what you feel, write what you know, write what you experience day in and day out. Share with us your passions, your strengths and your sorrows. Share YOU on a platter.

Great posts are not about frivolous banter and butterless cake. Instead, they’re ones where I can see the author and their viewpoint on things of substance, things that matter, things that move them. Those posts are the ones which draw me in and keep me coming back. 

Cake is great, really seeing a person is way better.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

What does any of this have to do with a Caprese Salad? Not a damn thing, although I do love me some Caprese Salad, and I thought you might too.

Caprese Salad
This simple summer dish combines sun-ripened tomatoes, tangy mozzarella, and fresh basil for an easy and elegant salad, which comes together in mere minutes.
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Prep Time
15 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 Beefsteak or Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced horizontally
  2. A handful of Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
  3. 6 ounces Mozzarella Ball, sliced horizontally
  4. Coarse Salt & Pepper to taste
  5. 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  6. 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  7. 10 Basil Leaves, sliced in ribbons, plus one whole sprig for garnish
Instructions
  1. Layer alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a rectangular shaped platter*. Tuck cherry tomato halves in on the edges. Sprinkle tomatoes and cheese with coarse salt and pepper and let sit for 15 minutes, drawing out the juice.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and basil ribbons.
Notes
  1. Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature, never in the fridge unless they've been cut.
  2. *You can use any shaped platter really, I just happen to think the rectangular ones make the tomatoes look extra fancy.
Clean Eats, Fast Feets http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/
This simple summer dish combines sun-ripened tomatoes, tangy mozzarella, and fresh basil for an easy and elegant salad which comes together in mere minutes.

Cake is great, really seeing a person is better. Be YOU, Be genuine. Be real.

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Thanks for letting me think Out Loud today, Ms. Amanda. Also, Happy Birthday Spoons.

If you’re a blogger, how do you write? For the audience or for yourself? What kinds of blogs do you prefer to read?   

Comments

  1. I definitely prefer to follow honest and true bloggers. There are lots of strictly recipe blogs that I follow for inspiration but I enjoy reading the words of my fellow bloggers, especially when they are real with their readers. I do love cake though, sometimes more than people. Ha!
    meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted…All Sorts Of RandomMy Profile

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  2. You’re my favourite protein powder- and egg white-less pocket-sized blogger. No nutrtional yeast-hating please but I can forgive you because, well, you are YOU.
    While I read a lot of blogs the only ones I visit regularly are those where I can -see- the blogger behind the posts – even if they [you know I had to say this] don’t post pictures of them. Life isn’t sunshine and rainbows 24/7 and I follow bloggers who admit this. I’
    I’ve found the same to be true in real life: only those friendships where we’ve lived through the good and bad times together actually last.
    Miss Polkadot recently posted…The Power of WritingMy Profile

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  3. I’m sorry, I was having trouble concentrating with all of those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes floating by. Currently waiting for my next batch to ripen up in my garden; settling for mountains of kale in the meantime.

    I love that you keep things real. It’s something I’ve definitely struggled with in my own blogging and something I appreciate in yours.

    PS- Taco salad was delicious and I don’t really like cabbage either!!

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  4. So many thoughts… Mind expansion is happening.
    Ok I’ll start by saying thank YOU! For noting tomatoes should be at room temp. Gorgeous tomatoes that get thrown in the fridge make me sick and sorry and I won’t eat them. I can’t eat cold tomatoes, just can’t do it.
    Secondly this made me want a milkshake. I don’t know why.
    Thirdly this is the big one. Ok. I have been told that I need to do the opposite – meaning I should be more relatable and write for others in mind. As much as I care about others I don’t know if that’s my real place right now. I’m just blogging and babbling for me. I figure if and when I find a focus and audience I’ll hoan in more and tighten up. For now it’s just all a process and learning experience.
    I agree, I prefer to read what seems authentic. There’s a sea of words out there and I’m just looking to float around the more interesting ones. In the meantime I’m sharing my cliche love for kale, vegan nut cheese making, and runwalkrun 🙂

    Reply

    • Hey Danielle, fancy seeing you comment above me 😉 Just had to say that I think what you speak of happened with me. I started with lots of ramblings and then tightened things up based on what people responded to and what was easy and enjoyable for people to read and for me to write. You’re a wonderful person and writer 🙂
      Michele @ paleorunningmomma recently posted…Expert Kids and Mourning Kitchen Appliances – TOLMy Profile

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      • To second what Michele is saying, I love your writing style. It’s zany, it’s quirky and completely you.

        It’s also ok to make changes and adjustments and really find yourself so long as at the end of the day, you’re being true to yourself as a writer, which is being passionate about what you’re sharing. When it comes from the heart, it strikes a chord with people, certainly me.
        Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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    • The fridge is like kryptonite for tomatoes.

      I say keep doing you and the audience you gain will be as a result of your voice. If you build it (write it), they will come.

      There are things which are important to make sure you get yourself out there in the right channels (joining and promoting things on social media, naming recipe posts accurately, pinning stuff like a mad woman) but the body of the post should be YOU.

      For me, I find the generic posts, where the blogger is all about pleasing the audience, well, generic. It makes me want to stop reading them and ultimately I think those bloggers will no longer enjoy it or at least not the writing piece of it. And if the writer is not really enjoying themselves, eventually it will catch up with them in posts and people will notice it.
      Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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  7. I agree so much with this! It’s taken some time for me to really “get the hang” of blogging (and I still struggle) but being ourselves is most important. I definitely don’t try to pretend I eat perfectly all the time or that I don’t have days where sitting on my ass is all that’s in the cards — it’s how I roll! And Caprese is just the best. So much yum.
    Erin@BeetsPerMinute recently posted…Abroad City: An American Living in Glasgow #8My Profile

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  9. Just wanted to pop by and say that I like following your IG posts and blog because of said realness – its quite refreshing. Oftentimes it seems smoke and mirrors shroud mostly everything. Doesn’t hurt that you seem quirky (in a good way, of course) and fun. 🙂

    Reply

  10. I try so hard to write my heart out on my blog but I have to hold back because there’s so much stuff I could say that would hurt people. Or violate them, or whatever. Not that I’m out to hurt people, but that it’s too private to share and it’s not fair of me to air out my stuff like that. But I really do try to paint a real picture, as best as I can. You know yesterday’s Woozy Wednesday post? It looked like we had so much fun, which we did. I swear to blog herself. But there was an underlying dark cloud through it all, and I couldn’t talk about it. Yet all the comments were like, “oh you guys have so much fun, you’re the best mom ever,” etc etc and now I feel like a cheat. It’s really hard to showcase my life on here without making it look all fine and dandy. That’s the hardest part of all of this. I read your stuff, Meghan, because I can write comments like this on here. You bring out the real person in each of us, and we know we are safe to do so. I respect you, I respect your writing, and you’re hilarious and so FOR THAT REASON, I read your damn salad recipes, and eat them, a la stomach cramps and all. XO
    Suzy recently posted…Share Your FriesMy Profile

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    • It’s ok to keep some details to yourself, whether by choice or by circumstance. You don’t have to reveal all the dirty dark secrets to keep it real. You just have to be yourself, and I can tell you I see and hear YOU in every single one of your posts. I love your voice and since you aren’t sharing recipes or running tips, you must know the rest of your audience is there for the same reason as me. You’re a great writer, and you’re genuine. Keep doing you. Toss some salad too. 😉
      Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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  14. I’m definitely not a fan of highlight reels, but I’ve also found that the older I get, the harder it is for me to fall into a legitimate funk…. which means I usually end up being happy more often than not. If that makes sense. But I do appreciate an honest blogger… to a point. I definitely have a hard time reading if it’s nothing but brutal self-flagellation, but I can’t do sunshine and rainbows 24/7 either. This salad I could do over and over again, though..
    Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. thinking out loud #145 .My Profile

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    • You don’t have to be funky or flashy to be genuine. You just need to be passionate about what you put on the page and I find that comes best when you write what you know, and it’s from the heart more than the kitchen.

      Reply

  15. It’s as though you crawled into my head this morning and spoke to my creative heart directly. Ugh….. I struggle with this right now. Not with being inauthentic, but with taking “me” out of my writing to sound more authoritative/professional. I did this because I hear industry bloggers talking about being useful and less “about me”. I get why they say this, but I’ve lost interest because it’s sucked all the creative juice out of what I’m doing.

    It wasn’t until I read the Pioneer Woman’s memoir that I was reminded about the beauty of sharing your own life and perspective. I’m not a regular reader of that blog, but her book was awesome.

    Anyway…. I think I know what I have to do now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    XO
    caren recently posted…Comment on Please stop this crazy-making 6 meal a day thing. It’s bogus. by Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeetsMy Profile

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  20. You have the best way with words! This has full on inspired tomorrow’s blog post, thank you.
    My writing has been a rollercoaster, mainly in figuring out what the hell I am doing (isn’t that what your 20s are for?). Whilst writing about a fair chunk of it on the Internet… I am selective in what I share sometimes but I never pretend that everything is all sunshine and roses when it isn’t, the general theme is always there and always real.
    I started out reading all the recipe blogs but now my favourites are those full of good old real life, openness and honesty.

    PS this salad is awesome. Caprese salad was the first thing I ate arriving in Rome four years ago, it was insane. I wrote a whole postcard home about how amazing the tomato was…
    Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…How to be your friend’s personal tour guide in LondonMy Profile

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  21. highlight reels last one second. haha. But I get this and get you and you always make me feel loved, even when life hands me a wicked curve ball and i swing, miss, and fall on my ass. Now there a good reel to watch. But seriously, that’s what we are here for, to help each other get back up. oh and to eat and make all the damn food. i need this next. pinned!
    lindsay recently posted…Easy Fire Roasted Shrimp Tacos and How Slow Cooking Food Can Preserve NutrientsMy Profile

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  23. I am breaking my “no commenting on holiday rule” for you now. I find myself reading less and less blogs regularly because of exactly that. I can’t see a real person. There are only few gems where I think I have a good feeling for the person behind. That’s what draws me in. You’re definitely one of those. And that’s exactly why I am so glad your break was only temporarily. And ona sidenote, I adore caprese!
    Juli@1000lovelythings recently posted…Vacation starts now!My Profile

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  24. Ok first off this recipe is amazing and those pictures just make you want to drive in and gobble up! I’m all about keeping things simple when it comes to really good produce – let those veggies show you why they are awesome!

    This is exactly why I love reading your blog Meghan, your honest and true. And that’s why getting to know you has been brilliant. When I first started blogging I was trying to be what I thought people wanted – then I realised that it just wasn’t me and it was getting me stressed out trying to write and create recipes that I didn’t want to. So now, I just write what I want when I want and just go with the flow a bit more – gaining back my passion for writing! 🙂
    Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…Blogging – Changing someone’s day!My Profile

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    • Sometimes (most times) simple is best, especially when it comes to produce. I prefer to let the veggies shine when possible.

      Thanks Jen, I find myself drawn to blogs where people are passionate and the writing is good, not where the blogger is forcing themselves to be something they’re not. Keep doing YOU and you’ll be fine.
      Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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  26. I love this! I have been blogging for a little over 2 years, and even though my blog hasn’t “blown up” like I would LOVE for it to do, I’m really trying to not “follow the crowd” of the bigger bloggers…I TRY to just be me, and write about what I want to write about, and I HOPE that people that can relate and “get me”, but I wonder sometimes if that is actually the case…And sometimes I feel like I might hold back a little bit – not be fake or anything, or sugar coat things – but, like, is what I say, i’m going to regret later on? or people won’t “get it” and think i’m this or that….wow. now that I’m typing that, i’m wondering if i’m subconsciouly just worried about what people think abou t me. ew. I don’t like that. I used to not be like that. K. i’m done talking out loud now, b/c this is getting crazy….
    Nikki @ will run for pizza recently posted…Some things to think about…My Profile

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  27. Yes yes yes! Now that blogging can be a lucrative career, I find so many blogs I once loved have become far too focused on profits and posting for their audience. It makes me feel like I’m reading a magazine article rather than a blog. Actually some are even less personal than magazine articles. I still have a lot of those blogs in my reader, but I find myself skipping over them, especially if the recipe doesn’t interest me. But with other blogs like yours, even if the recipe doesn’t appeal to me (not that that’s ever the case with yours!), I still love to read the post anyway.
    Chelsea @ Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Cookbook Review: The Canning KitchenMy Profile

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    • I understand completely. There are blogs I’ve stopped reading because they feel forced and all about making a profit now. I feel like there has to be a better way and a middle ground, where you can earn a buck and still enjoy what you do while being true to yourself. I’m going to figure it out too. That’s my plan anyway.

      You’re the bomb. You need to come to Cleveland already. 🙂
      Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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  29. Meant to comment yesterday but then forgot (I’m thinking you can relate). I read a lot of blogs and the food blogs I follow tend to be vegan. However, I’ve been following you since I found you, I look forward to every post and miss you when you’re on break. When I read this post, the reason became clear. Not only do I love your writing but you’re genuine, always and formost. I love your veggie pics and focus on fresh, whole foods and happily veganize what recipes I can. And then, of course, there’s Oscar! Thanks for a great blog.

    Reply

    • Thank you Pat, and I can absolutely relate to forgetting to comment or follow back up. Sometimes life gets hectic and my memory fails me. That’s life right. Anyway, I’m glad you circled back because your comment means so very much to me. You made my weekend. THANK YOU! Oscar says thanks too.
      Meghan recently posted…Caprese Salad Recipe and Genuine BloggingMy Profile

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  30. Butterless cake sounds sad. Caprese salad on the other had is amazing and your CSA tomatoes make this one look extra pretty. Also thank you for being you, all the time. The world needs more genuine people in it 🙂

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  32. And this is why I (clearly amongst many) continue reading your blog- your authenticity. Due to the lack of time, I’ve stopped reading several blog, mainly those who I can’t identify with or who don’t sound genuine but it’s safe to say, that yours is one that is here to stay for me, even if I’m not always commenting. As much as I love having readers, more traffic, comments etc, I refuse to blog in a specific way if it doesn’t sound like me- blogging is an outlet for me and trying to fit into a specific mold/writing style is just too tedious and transparent!
    Khushboo recently posted…Warm Kale & Feta SaladMy Profile

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  33. I do sometimes feel like my life is fucking sunshine, though, pretty much unicorn & rainbows all the time.
    Pharrel, Pharell, Pharrell what is right.
    Thanks for delivering a lovely read, as you always do!
    And an excellent side salad along with it!
    Kirsten recently posted…Peach Zucchini MuffinsMy Profile

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  34. I have such mixed feelings with these kinds of posts saying “be genuine.” I wonder what sparks them. Did you read a blog you thought was boring? Maybe that person is just boring to you. Or they just aren’t super awesome at conveying their thoughts in an entertaining way. Did you read a blog that seems too happy? Maybe that person is really really happy OR it brings joy to that blogger to focus on the good things. I dunno. We all filter ourselves to some degree whether in person or in writing. (The wise Dave cakes told me this recently when I was bawling to him that no one likes the real me.)

    I’ve realized most bloggers try to be real but if they aren’t sassy or interesting we might think they are holding something back. Or we might cringe when they do share something too personal. Sharing every detail doesn’t always bring about an interesting or helpful blog. You also have to remember not all of us are as witty and awesome as the public banana queen. 😉 That being said, I do tend to share more than some people (namely people that know me in person) like or understand on my blog haha. Sometimes I have to pretend that those people don’t read it. 😉
    Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut recently posted…Happy Things #5: Good NewsMy Profile

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    • I’m not talking about blogs I find boring or overtly happy. It’s also not necessarily about sharing all the things either. I think a certain bit of privacy is smart. This is the internet after all.

      I prefer to read posts that are real though. I don’t enjoy it when a blogger comes across as disingenuous, meaning it feels like they’re just phoning it in (a post without any passion or emotion, whatever kind). Also, the same goes for posts which feel like they’re all about money or the blogger is simply writing what they think their audience wants to hear. I’d rather read what the bloggers wants to say without any outside influence.

      Hope that clarifies what I was trying to convey. Also it’s quite alright for you to have a different opinion. For me, that’s what I look for in a blog though: being real and true to oneself. It’s how I like to write and it’s also what I like to read.
      Meghan recently posted…Simple Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime VinaigretteMy Profile

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      • Oh I don’t disagree that bloggers should try to be genuine, just sometimes it’s tough. I do think it has to do with how good of a writer you are. And if you’ve been writing publicly for long enough, you get an idea for what people like and don’t like which is kind of hard to ignore completely (especially if you’ve ever visited that blogger basher site..so so bad). I dunno. These comments are probably coming off as defensive, but I think this topic is something I struggle with as a blogger who is trying to grow and make money. I wish I could just write like no one is reading, but I know people are. Gah. #thestruggle
        Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut recently posted…Frozen Banana Pops Covered in Chocolate Taste Like Dilly BarsMy Profile

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        • I’ve been writing the blog for 3 plus years now (wow, time flies) and I still have no idea why certain posts resonate and why others don’t. Either way, I’m going to keep writing both because they mean a whole to me, which is of course why I wrote them to begin with. Do you, and the rest will follow.
          Meghan recently posted…I Am An OxymoronMy Profile

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  35. Ok, where to start. #1 If we met in real life I think we would be good friends. You are so genuine and open minded, so thanks 🙂 #2 I apologize for stalking your blog tonight and leaving 6,000 comments on random posts, I’m in a blog stalking mood. #3 I love the message to stay true and blog for yourself- but it is just so hard when you aren’t getting the results you want. I have tried so hard to make my blog more of a community- I practically beg for comments! I don’t know what I am doing wrong, so I get frustrated and try to write about what I THINK others want to read. Then I go back and re-read those posts and gag.
    Even if I never make a dime off my blog (seriously!!!) I just want it to be a community where my readers interact. I KNOW the readers are there, *thanks google analytics* but I just want to reach through the screen and hug them and beg them to talk back!
    What advice do you have for engaging your audience to promote interaction?
    Frugal Foodie Frank recently posted…What is the right balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3?My Profile

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