I have been eyeing these fresh mozzarella "perlini" balls in my supermarket dairy case for a while and thinking how cute they are. I tossed some in our green salads, but I came up with a really delicious and simple salad, in Christmas colors, no less, for our Christmas Eve meal tonight. It is sending us a needed blast of summer intensity for this darkest time of winter.
I used a thawed container of pesto from the freezer, which we put up nearly daily during August when the basil bushes grow with an intense vegetable energy, but you could substitute prepared pesto from a jar. But, please don't spend $5.00 on a hydroponic bouquet of limpy, wimpy basil from the produce aisle. Basil needs summer dirt in its toes and blistering summer sun to give up its goodness.
Wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my new gluten-free buddies with this twist on the traditional sliced mozzarella, basil leaf and tomato salad of summer:
Winter Caprese Salad
1 (8 oz.) container fresh mozzarella perlini (pearl-sized balls)
About 25 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup pesto
Splash of red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and let flavors marry at room temperature for at least an hour before serving. Serve as an appetizer or spoon on top of your green salad.
3 comments:
Rachel - that sounds great! I may add a little minced onion, handful of capers, etc.. and pile it on top of my new "Against the Grain" baguettes for a yummy bruschetta!
I completely agree about the sad green leaves being passed of as "basil" in the supermarket. I love fresh herbs and tomatoes and the fake ones just aren't edible. Your salad adds a bright touch needed on these grey days of winter.
It's yumy. Subway is also a nice store for salads and other food.
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