Craving Caprese salad before peak tomato season? Try roasting the tomatoes first to bring out their natural sweetness and to draw out every ounce of flavor.
I was provided samples of Mini Fillo Shells from Athens Foods at no cost to me. I did not accept monetary compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
The sunshine and decidedly springlike temperatures of this past weekend were invigorating, weren't they?
For the first time in a long time, I actually felt a bounce in my step and my productivity level sky-rocketed. Stephen and I even managed to get outside for a few runs around the neighborhood and our local park, something that neither one of us has done in a long time. It just felt great not to be all cooped up indoors for a change.
But, that feeling of euphoria was short-lived, as we're currently experiencing temperatures in the low 30s again with a [minor] snowstorm threatening to ruin all the fun. Honestly, even a minor accumulation of snow at this point is too much. Can't we just move on to spring? And stay there?
Please???
Then again, the recent weather and fluctuating temperatures and my impatience for spring to really be here inspired this recipe, so I guess I should give credit where credit is due. It was the sunshine that made me crave Caprese salad, with thick slices of juicy tomatoes and fresh mozzarella layered with leaves of fresh basil and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
I started with a pint of grape tomatoes. They tasted okay, but they weren't as sweet as they are in the summer months.
Instead of just using them fresh, I decided to chop them up, toss them with a bit of olive oil, and roast them to draw out their sweetness. That's where you should go, too.
There. That's better.
Next, cut the fresh mozzarella. You'll want the cheese to be able the same size as the tomatoes.
Then take some fresh basil leaves and julienne them into long, thin strips. Go fresh here... The dried basil won't do this salad justice.
When the tomatoes have cooled, place them in a large bowl along with the mozzarella and fresh basil. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, and that's it! Your Caprese salad with roasted tomatoes is finished and ready to eat!
At this point, you could totally grab a spoon and go to town on that salad. I wouldn't judge you. I
couldn't judge you because that's exactly what I did... *ahem* But to jazz things up, I didn't stop here.
I decided to turn the Caprese salad into a fun Caprese salad
bite with these
Mini Fillo Shells from
Athens Foods. The pastry cups are fully baked and frozen fresh, making them fast, versatile, and easy to use when preparing appetizers for a party or a get-together.
Or when you're mad at Mother Nature for threatening to delay spring from truly taking root and the only thing that can console you is the combination of "warm weather food" with "finger food".
These
Roasted Tomato Caprese Bites are deliciously addictive, and the
Mini Fillo Shells make them so easy to pop into your mouth. So... don't be surprised when you discover you've eaten half of the bites without the help of your husband less than 10 minutes after you've arranged them on your platter.
Oops.
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