Monday, September 12, 2011

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.

2 comments:

Kendra said...

Looks delicious! I love fresh mozarella! You should try buffalo mozzarella if you can find some and you really need to try Pioneer Woman's Ricotta Cheese Roma Tomatoes! I have some baking in the oven as we speak! DELICIOUS!

Kari said...

Lovely! I love your photography and your stories about living in NYC with a family. I am moving from LA with my husband and dog in 2 weeks to NYC so it's really fun to read about and see all the amazing images you post. If you have any tips about apts or moving to NYC or anything about life there please let me know! I'd appreciate it! Thanks!