Fontina Caprese with Basil Pesto
So I made this fairly simple and straightforward snack for lunch yesterday, and it was all I needed. Everyone knows what a caprese is, but I gave mine a little taste update. Instead of the traditional mozzarella, I used fontina which is sweet, nutty, and not as mild as mozzarella. I also used pesto instead of the usual drizzle of olive oil. While the oil has a wonderful taste, I wanted a little kick. And once again, I had gorgeous fresh ingredients courtesy of my Aunt Happel. I mean, seriously, look at those tomatoes; the color is insane. And the taste and texture are even better. Speaking of which, let's have a little chat about tomatoes. Rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that some call the wonder antioxidant, tomatoes are one of the world's healthiest fruits. Being from Richmond, I consider myself a tomato snob with the world-famous king of tomatoes, the Hanover, grown right in my backyard north of the City. They're sweet and I can literally eat one like an apple. And let me tell you, the ones my aunt brought me are just perfect. Smooth and not white, but ruby red, inside; and no grittiness to be found.
So the trick to getting a good flavorful caprese is to layer the flavors. And I'm not talking about the assembly process, I'm talking about maximizing the flavor of each ingredient. Take your bread, for instance, and toast it in the oven or toaster just enough to give it a little crunch, but not make it hard as a rock. Right as soon as it comes out, take a whole garlic clove and rub it on the surface of the hot bread. The crust will slowly scrape bits of the clove off and infuse that glorious bit of spiciness into the bread. So first flavor layer completed. Next, take your favorite pesto, or make your own, (recipe for mine will be in the next post) and spread a small amount on the warm bread. Not a lot, because you don't want any part of this to overpower any of the others. Then slice your tomato and put a little black pepper on top and place atop the pesto (TayTip: never salt your tomatoes in a caprese or any sandwich--unless it's just a tomato sandwich, in which case the salt would enhance the sweet flavor--because the cheese, pesto, and bread all have salt, and you don't want too much savory and not enough sweet). Then put a couple slices of fontina cheese and finish with one whole basil leaf.
You've never had a caprese like this! The crusty bread up against the soft tomatoes and crisp basil leaf is just perfect. The flavor profile with the sweet homegrown tomatoes, peppery and slightly minty basil, spicy garlic, and the nutty cheese is an immaculate combination. The pesto underlines the basil and the bread is the perfect vessel. Try this shaken up caprese and give your taste buds a reward! Buon appetito!
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