The other night I had a couple of girlfriends over for a long-awaited Girls Night In, and I wanted to make something light and fresh for us to nosh on. With tomatoes finally starting to taste like, well… tomatoes again, I decided to make Caprese sandwiches. It really doesn’t get any easier than that. (I did complicate the process by making homemade Rosemary Garlic Ciabatta, but that’s for another post!) In fact, Caprese sandwiches are so easy to make that I almost feel guilty putting them into a post, but on the other hand, I really want to share the idea with you – it is such a delicious way to highlight those summer tomatoes as they come off the vine.
Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil. What could be easier?!
A basic Caprese sandwich takes just minutes to throw together and will keep in the fridge until you are ready to cut and serve it. To make, just cut a ciabatta or other flat-ish bread (like fococcia) horizontally and spread each half generously with basil pesto. To the bottom half, layer on fresh basil, sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella, in that order. (The only trick here is to be sure that the tomatoes are layered between the basil and the cheese so they don’t make your bread soggy.) Once you have everything as you want it, close up your sandwich, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend a bit. When you are ready to eat, cut into slices to serve.
Caprese sandwiches (and salads of course) are among my favorite easy-to-fix summer meals. What are some of your favorites?
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