Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Happy July 4th! If you’re looking for red, white, and blue, then you’re going to have to take a second look at last week’s flag cake. Instead I have something red, white, and green. That’s close enough, right?

One of the best parts of Summer is how little you actually need to do to make food taste good. Some fresh vegetables and fresh herbs are all you need to make something taste clean and delicious. And when you’re spending time outside and at cook-outs, all that extra time is a great thing. You can make these appetizers in just 15 minutes and I guarantee they’ll be gone by the end of the party.

You could use 1-inch fresh mozzarella balls; however, when I was at the store those cost twice as much and the point is for this to be delicious—not expensive. A cheaper option is to buy a log of mozzarella, shave a thin layer off of the sides so that they’re flat, and cut the rectangle into equal sized squares.

Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 24 bites):

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 24 basil leaves, washed
• 24 1-inch cubes or balls of fresh mozzarella
• 24 toothpicks

Method:

1. Pour the vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil over a burner for 5 minutes until it has reduced to half its original amount. Move it to a serving dish and let it cool.
2. Start by pushing a cherry tomato three quarters the way up a toothpick.
3. Next put on a basil leaf on and move it up to touch the tomato.
4. Lastly put on the mozzarella until the toothpick is mostly through.
5. Repeat until all of the ingredients are gone.
6. Plate the caprese bites and serve with the reduced vinegar on the side or decoratively pour the vinegar onto the plate before putting down the bites.
7. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

You can make another easy dipping sauce by mixing extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl or small plate.