Caprese Salad Bites

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to the summer. Yesterday we attended a holiday potluck party by the bay and these Caprese Salad Bites were easy to assemble at home and then consume in an outdoor setting.  Plus they were fresh and delicious and only add to our Italian food obsession. (I wonder what T and friends would think.)

There are several recipes on Pinterest for this appetizer; I found one here.  This recipe makes 24 bites. 
 
Ingredients: 
24 sugar plum tomatoes, cut in half
12 mini-mozzarella balls, sliced in half and patted dry
24 pieces of fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
24 sword picks
a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

To assemble:
1. Salt and pepper the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. 

2. Place one piece of tomato, mozzarella, basil, and then another tomato on each sword.

3. Repeat Step 1, twenty-four times.

4. When ready to serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Buno appetito!

Nectarine Caprese Salad

Put a little spin on the classic caprese salad by substituting tomatoes with sweet, end-of-summer nectarines or peaches.

During the summer, my friend noticed a peach caprese salad on the menu at a local restaurant/tavern.  That night, we only ordered stouts; however, I have been curious about this app for months.  Sunday I bought some fresh mozzarella and basil at the farmers market and finally decided to give this salad a try. 

For an appetizer size for two you'll need:

1 large nectarine or peach
1 ball of fresh mozzarella
2-3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
few teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
sea salt

Slice the fruit and cheese and arrange on a plate.  Top with basil leaves.  Drizzle with vinegar and salt to taste.