Caprese Panini

Tags

caprese, gardening, panini, summer, vegetarian

Thank God it has finally started to rain! My poor little garden was starting to look like a pipe dream. It looks much better now.

My squash are finally starting to bear.

I love caprese salad better than anything else in the summer time. It is so fresh, tasty, easy, and cool. This sandwich is just as easy and tasty. Would it be too much to have a caprese panini and a caprese salad?!?

Caprese Panini

• 2 slices country-style bread, each 1/2 inch thick
• Olive oil for brushing
• 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
• 3 tomato slices
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 fresh basil leaves

Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay the slices, oiled side down, on a clean work surface. Spread the top of each slice with 1 Tbs. mayonnaise. Place the cheese on one slice and top with the tomato slices. Drizzle with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Top with the basil, then with the other bread slice, oiled side up.

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker and cook according to the manufacturers instructions until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Strawberry Caprese Salad

Tags

appetizer, basil, caprese, food, fresh, fruit, salad, strawberry

LOVE THIS SALAD!

Thanks to Rufus for posting this recipe a couple of weeks ago on his blog. It is so tasty and fresh. And I have decided I like goat cheese. The first time I tried goat cheese, I thought it was horrid. So musky, rank even. Bleck! Goat cheese tasted just like billy goats smell. No thank you!

I have tried a couple of goat cheeses since then and I think I like it. I must have had a bad batch or milk from an old goat (hehe!). The goat cheese in this recipe is perfectly paired with the sweet of the berries, the tang of the vinegar, and the herby wonderfulness of the basil. And it looks so fancy!

Strawberry Caprese Salad

• Goat cheese log, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 10 basil leaves, torn
• Black pepper, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Place the goat cheese in the freezer for a bit (30 minutes maybe). This will help it slice easier; otherwise it will be a crumbly mess. On a plate, arrange the cheese, strawberries and basil in a repeating row. Top with desired amounts of pepper, olive oil, and vinegar. Enjoy!