Here’s an idea that takes your normal Caprese salad and turns it inside out.  A perfect twist for a Super Bowl Sunday spread.  And, it’s almost as easy as it is delicious.  We should know.  Our neighbors came to sample the final product and all I have left is  plate full of emptiness. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

2 cans Red Gold Diced tomatoes

2 packages of fresh mozzarella bite sized “pearls” (or one pound cut into small pieces)

A head of Bib (Butter) Lettuce

A bunch of basil (about 30 leaves or so)

And a completed recipe of special dressing (includes garlic, fresh Parmesan, brown mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper)

Build your filling and wrap spread:

The first thing you’ll need to do is make the dressing. All you need is: 1 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar, 1 T. grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 T. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. sea salt, ground black pepper, and 3 smaller or two larger cloves of garlic – peeled and cut up a bit.  Put all these ingredients into the blender and blend until the dressing is emulsified and the color of light mud.  Yup – you’re gonna eat something that looks like mud.  The mustard and cheese help the emulsification process and help hold this together so it doesn’t separate. See this link for photos capturing the dressing making process.

Next, you’ll layer.  First, the fresh mozzarella. Put a fine dusting of ground black pepper on the cheese.  Then drain the tomatoes well (save the juice!), and cover the cheese.  Next, put the dressing in a baggie, cut a very small hole in one corner and use this like a pastry bag to drizzle the dressing evenly over the top of the tomatoes.  Finally, cover the top with finely sliced fresh basil, garnish…and you’re done!  Here are a few photos of the process…

For staging on a buffet with other food, or for serving alone I suggest cutting up a baguette, buttering the tops, dust with garlic, sea salt and fresh Parmesan.  That way, if your guests don’t want to put the filling into the lettuce and eat as wraps, they can pile it on a nice slice of garlic bread.

How easy was THAT?!

Wait – did we forget something?  Ohhhh, yes.  The juice!

A bit of salt, ground pepper, a dash of tabasco and…anything else you’d like to add makes for a, “I finished my Caprese Wrap pronto” drink! Chill the juice while you cook if you like it nice and icy.  And  –  have a buncha Super Bowl fun!

[kelly]

Note ~ This recipe was created by Red Dirt Kelly for a Red Gold Tomato products blogger contest.  While we normally focus on cooking local and Okie, we’re happy to throw our hat in the ring with the Red Gold contest folks.  We should have one more recipe for you tomorrow. 

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