I'm home from Ireland, and this was one of the first things I made. Actually, I made biscuits and gravy for my husband first thing because after eating baked beans for breakfast for the past week, we were ready for some American food. But soon after that, I made this because I've been dying for some fresh fruits and veggies. In our experience, the land of potatoes equals the land of french fries. We got fries with everything. In fact, I ordered a slice of pizza for lunch one day, and I got fries with it. Strange, but I wasn't complaining too much. They served salads with most meals, but my lettuce usually seemed to be turning brown. So I was ready for some awesome produce. Don't get me wrong though; I loved Ireland. It's a great country, and I highly recommend visiting!
I never really used to like fresh tomatoes, and I'm still not a huge fan. However, if you mix them with basil and cheese (or cilantro and onions for that matter), I'm all in. I love caprese, and I started thinking about this on the plane. I made it in my jet-lagged state, and I was thinking you could make it for the 4th of July because it's red, white, and blue. Then I realized basil isn't blue and figured I should go back to bed. So instead make these when you're ready for something fresh. These scream summer, and I know I'll be enjoying them for awhile...especially when our tomatoes start growing in the garden.
By the way, the recipe calls for mozzarella fresca, which I found as a ball in the fancy cheese section of my local grocery store. I highly recommend this over shredded mozzarella. It has a lot more moisture than shredded, and it melts in your mouth. I don't think it's much more expensive than shredded.
Caprese Bruschetta Recipe
Makes 4-5 pieces
Print this recipe
4 roma tomatoes, diced
4 ounces mozzarella fresca, cubed
4-6 large basil leaves, cut or torn into strips
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
4-5 slices of French bread or baguette
Preheat your oven to broil. Brush your bread slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and broil in the oven until golden brown. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir together your chopped tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, basil, garlic, remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture on top of the bread and serve.
Variations: You could use other types of tomatoes and slice instead of dice them. Instead of cubing the cheese, you could lay a slice of it on top of the bread. You also could place full basil leaves on top. Make this your own! It's easy and adaptable.
Source: A She Makes and Bakes original
I never really used to like fresh tomatoes, and I'm still not a huge fan. However, if you mix them with basil and cheese (or cilantro and onions for that matter), I'm all in. I love caprese, and I started thinking about this on the plane. I made it in my jet-lagged state, and I was thinking you could make it for the 4th of July because it's red, white, and blue. Then I realized basil isn't blue and figured I should go back to bed. So instead make these when you're ready for something fresh. These scream summer, and I know I'll be enjoying them for awhile...especially when our tomatoes start growing in the garden.
By the way, the recipe calls for mozzarella fresca, which I found as a ball in the fancy cheese section of my local grocery store. I highly recommend this over shredded mozzarella. It has a lot more moisture than shredded, and it melts in your mouth. I don't think it's much more expensive than shredded.
Caprese Bruschetta Recipe
Makes 4-5 pieces
Print this recipe
4 roma tomatoes, diced
4 ounces mozzarella fresca, cubed
4-6 large basil leaves, cut or torn into strips
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
4-5 slices of French bread or baguette
Preheat your oven to broil. Brush your bread slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and broil in the oven until golden brown. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir together your chopped tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, basil, garlic, remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture on top of the bread and serve.
Variations: You could use other types of tomatoes and slice instead of dice them. Instead of cubing the cheese, you could lay a slice of it on top of the bread. You also could place full basil leaves on top. Make this your own! It's easy and adaptable.
Source: A She Makes and Bakes original
