tomato – In Good Taste

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Boats

Maris Callahan — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:00:11 +0000

Is there any hors d’oeuvre more universally crowd-pleasing than a caprese salad? Tomato, mozzarella and basil is a combination that any palate would be hard pressed not to enjoy. Whether you’re planning an Italy-themed dinner party and want to pay homage to the red, white and green colors of the flag or you’re simply interested in any excuse to wrap cheese in produce and call it health food, these little skewers are full of flavor and easy to assemble. Save Print Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Boats Author: Maris Callahan Recipe type: Cooking for a Crowd, Small Plates & Snacks Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients 18 large fresh basil leaves 18 cherry tomatoes 18 small balls fresh mozzarella cheese (often labeled bocconcini) 18 3-4 inch bamboo skewers Instructions Place basil leaves on a serving plate. On each skewer, thread a cherry tomato and a piece of mozzarella and wrap each basil leaf around the skewer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and refrigerate, covered, until serving. 3.2.2310

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Easy Caprese Salad Two Ways

Maris Callahan — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 05:00:19 +0000

Caprese salad is probably the easiest salad in the world to throw together. The process is pretty much as follows: slice cheese, slice tomatoes, tear basil and drizzle with olive oil. Yet, I don’t know too many people who frequently enjoy caprese salads in the comfort of their own homes – or anywhere outside of an Italian (or Italian-ish) restaurant. According to Epicurious.com, the salad was created in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for regulars out for a light lunch. They’d order a just-picked tomato and fresh fior di latte (cow’s-milk mozzarella). The salad has since evolved in Capri to include arugula, but everywhere else in Italy it features simple tomato, mozzarella and basil – always with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil as dressing. With farmers markets beginning to reopen for the season and fresh tomatoes slowly making an appearance across the US it seemed like there could be no better time to share a purist recipe – one with four ingredients, fresh ingredients, that makes a perfect lunch with a piece of crusty bread or a nice appetizer at a summer picnic or cookout. Keep in mind that your caprese salad does not have to be […]

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Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Dip

Maris Callahan — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 05:00:07 +0000

In theory, I like yogurt. When I eat it, I enjoy it. When I go to the grocery store, I always buy it. I buy it when I have more than enough in my refrigerator to eat for breakfast or the occasional snack. If you live alone and like to cook, it’s probably not a foreign conundrum — throwing out a half-used, wilted bunch of basil before you can get around to making pesto or tossing two-thirds of a lasagne because you can’t stand the sight of it anymore. Though there are plenty of ways to consume everyone’s favorite protein-packed dairy product – in chilled cucumber avocado soup, shrimp salad with dill and cucumber, turkey meatballs with basil and cranberries – I still seem to wind up scrambling to use up my containers of Fage days before their expiration dates. It was an excess of Greek yogurt that led me to make a dip for no reason. A dip that had no intended purpose when I whipped it up but wound up playing double duty: appetizer before dinner with a friend and as a cracker spread on a picnic. I would recommend making this a day in advance, as it […]

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