Caprese Bruschettas

Sometimes certain dishes don’t need a recipe.  The problem with that is, sharing the ingredients and method gets complicated…trying to throw out a bunch of instructions while people think they can remember everything I say just doesn’t work.  They never do remember.  This caprese bruschetta is one of these such dishes that we’ve been making for years and I’m just now taking the time to write down the recipe for it.  It’s also one of those dishes that I’m in love with so much that I unconsciously do a little dance for when I take that first bite.  Caprese salad has always been one of our favorite summertime dishes and we make the combination a number of ways at least once a week, every week, in the summer: on a plate, with pasta and chicken, in a panzanella salad, and in a sandwich (the latter three which haven’t been posted here…yet).  I should note that we love balsamic vinegar so we go a little heavy on it – adjust the amount to your own tastes.

So if you’re looking for a fantastic side dish or appetizer for your summer bbq, like for the upcoming 4th of July, make sure you try this one out!

***If you haven’t seen Smells Like Home’s newest feature, be sure to check out Parts of the Home for some great recipe suggestions specific to different parts of the home.   Consider it a fun twist on the “featured recipes” pages you may see on other blogs.  New Parts will be making their debut throughout the rest of the summer!***

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Caprese Bruschetta
source: Smells Like Home original

1/2 cup vine-ripened tomato, diced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
French baguette, sliced on a biased into 8 1″ thick slices

Combine all of the ingredients except the bread in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature.  After about 25 minutes, drizzle the baguette slices with a little olive oil (both sides) and lightly toast both sides.  You can do this in the oven with the broiler, on the grill, or in the toaster (which is how we do it).  Top warm toast with caprese mixture and drizzle with remaining liquid from the bottom of the bowl.

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