Caprese Salad {with a twist}

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who is obsessed with heirloom tomatoes.  Their flavor is out of this world.  Pair them with fresh mozzarella cheese, a slice of toasted bread from your local bakery, chopped basil, balsamic reduction drizzle, salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a winner.

I recently made these for a baby shower, and they were a hit. It's kind of a cross between caprese salad and bruschetta. A lot of people don't like caprese salad, but they'll eat anything on a bread- it's true!  Also, I find that using slices of basil rather than whole basil leaves is more approachable for people who may not be familiar with the delights of caprese salad. That, and it's easier to eat.

Ingredients:

• a good baguette, sliced (locals, try the rustic baguette from Silvermoon)
• extra virgin olive oil 
• fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• your favorite type of tomato, sliced
• fresh basil, whole or sliced
• balsamic vinegar reduction (amazing!)
• sea salt & pepper

Directions:

Drizzle your bread slices with olive oil and toast it in the oven on 350 until slightly brown. Keep an eye on your bread so doesn't burn.

Basically, you can just follow Pioneer Woman's instructions for preparing the reduction and getting the ingredients sliced and ready to go.

Allow the bread to cool, then layer the sliced mozzarella, the tomato, and the basil on top.  Finally, drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve them on your favorite platter (my current favorite is the Textured Rectangle Platter from Old Town Imports. I use it every single day).

p.s. Would you think I'm crazy if I told you that I prefer this to any dessert? Well, maybe any dessert aside from my grandparents' homemade maple ice cream. You can't beat that.