The Madness Continues

It's possible that my affinity for mozzarella has gotten out of control. But with all the fresh basil and tomatoes that keep appearing in my grocery store, it's hard to walk by without dreaming of caprese.

This weekend, we had dinner at my parent's house for Mother's Day and my mom wanted to do something special for appetizers. When I arrived, I was told that the mozzarella appetizer was my job and was handed a recipe. The recipe was actually unnecessary because the process of making Mozzarella Skewers was so simple.















The contrast in colors of the white, red and green looks gorgeous on a serving platter. Make sure to use cherry tomatoes that are on the smaller side, otherwise there will be a fair share of tomato juice squirting going on as people attempt to bite into the large tomato and end up blinding their neighbor with tomato seeds. Also try to keep the grouping close to the bottom of the skewer to avoid tongue-stabbing whilst consuming.















And although I just made them sound like quite a hazardous affair, these simple skewers are delicious and are so easy to throw together!

Mozzarella Skewers

Ingredients

1 container fresh baby mozzarella
1 package fresh basil
25-30 cherry tomatoes, small to medium size

Dressing:
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

If mozzarella balls are larger than 1/2-inch in diameter, cut into cubes to size. Wash and dry tomatoes and basil. If basil leaves are large, these may be cut in half.

Using small skewers about 4 1/2 inches long, slide on a tomato, a piece of basil folded in half and a cube of mozzarella. Repeat on new skewers until all the pieces have been used.

Combine ingredients for dressing and brush or sprinkle over skewers just before serving. Dressing can also be served on the side for dipping.

Mozzarella Madness

I like to think of myself as an honorary Cheesehead. Although I was not born in the state of Wisconsin, my four years of undergrad in Madison only encouraged my love for cheese and the need to melt it on just about everything. This desire has not waned in my post-collegiate years, although perhaps my taste has grown more sophisticated. I choose Brie or Camembert over cheddar and I've found that a good, hard Parmesan makes all the difference in Italian cooking.

And when springtime comes around, one of my favorite cheese dishes is a classic caprese salad. There is nothing fresher and more satisfying than a firm beefsteak tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese and just-picked basil leaves. A few dashes of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper make it a colorful side dish that no one can turn down.















Clearly you can see that my love for cheese is pure. Which is why I feel a tinge of guilt telling you that I actually substituted it out of the dish. Running short on time and ingredients, I decided to swap an avocado for mozzarella and the results were fantastic! It made a gorgeous salad, especially with a bit of balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top. And it tasted great too! It's actually a good alternative for lactose-intolerant foodies who still crave the creamy texture combined with a firm tomato.

The recipe is so simple, it seems silly to write out the ingredients and directions, but I think you get the idea. Do you have any other variations on the caprese? Running With Tweezers writes about a refreshing summer twist with watermelon and basil granita!