It's Go Time

There's nothing like fresh tomatoes when they're in season. The best ones are so good you could eat them like an apple. I loaded up on tomatoes this weekend and couldn't wait to start eating them. I've been eating the cherry tomatoes as a snack and put the regular ones in BLTs for dinner last night. Tonight was my sister-in-law's birthday dinner so I made a large caprese platter and some bruschetta. I'm always a big fan of bruschetta but I'm particularly fond of the bruschetta at Volunteer Park Cafe. I did my best to copy theirs. Both recipes are are so easy and take two minutes to prepare. These are such simple recipes though that their flavor depends entirely on the quality of your ingredients. Preparing this when the tomatoes and basil are fresh will make all the difference. It's that time of year so it's go time folks!

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Caprese

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Ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-1/2" thick

Fresh mozzarella, sliced to same thickness

Fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Good olive oil

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Place tomatoes on a platter and top each one with a large basil leaf. Top with a slice of mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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You can also drizzle with balsamic vinegar but I think that takes away from the other flavors so I don't use it on caprese.

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Bruschetta

Inspired by Volunteer Park Cafe

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Cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered

Sungold cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered

Fresh mozzarella, cut into small chunks

Fresh basil, minced

Sweet onion, minced

Good olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Baguette, sliced into 1/2" pieces

Garlic clove

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Turn oven to broil.

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Combine both types of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and onion. Drizzle with olive oil, a few splashes of vinegar, salt and pepper.

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Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet and brush one side with olive oil. Broil for roughly 2 minutes on the middle rack. Check and cook for another minute or two until golden brown (be careful not to burn as it happens very fast on broil). Flip slices and broil on the other side for half as long. Remove and rub the oiled side with the edge of a cut garlic clove.

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Top with tomato mixture and serve immediately.