Grilled Heirloom Tomato Caprese
There really isn’t anything better than flavors that remind us of the blissful days of summer. A few that come to mind are fresh basil from the garden and the sweet flavor of locally grown heirloom tomatoes. This week’s PIP box was packed with all sorts of summertime provisions. Those heirloom tomatoes were tops on my list.
You may be asking yourself, what exactly is an "heirloom" tomato? Are they only found in antique stores? Well, not exactly. The seeds are truly what differentiates the heirloom tomato from all of the others. From season to season they are passed down, and the seeds are harvested by the farmers from the plants that produce the best tomatoes! That is why we see such incredibly varying colors, shapes and sizes. These tomatoes are not only delicious, they are also pretty special to look at too.
This is a perfect dish to serve up at this weekend's Father's Day feast. If the saying “the fastest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach” is true, then you will sure be serving up some love this weekend with this recipe! If you’ve decided to celebrate at home, but still want a decadent dish to share, this grilled heirloom caprese takes no time at all to whip up! It features some classic elements along with a more current twist, but offers even more of a flavor punch by first grilling the tomatoes before serving. Grilling really deepens and enhances the flavor of ripe summer tomatoes, which also helps melt the burrata cheese to make it more delicious. I didn’t think that was possible but here we are! We hope you enjoy this week’s PIP box and this delicious recipe!
Grilled Heirloom Tomato Caprese
Ingredients
3 PIP heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half inch thickness
8 slices of fresh Italian prosciutto
1 large loaf of fresh Italian bread, sliced into 1⁄4 inch thin slices
about 15 fresh basil leaves
1⁄4 C+ 2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp reduced balsamic vinegar (optional)
8 oz fresh burrata cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan. Wash and slice the PIP heirloom tomatoes to 1⁄2 in thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on the grill and cook for 3-5 min on each side. Set aside once finished. Then, slice the fresh italian bread. Drizzle the slices with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Grill bread for 4-6 min on each side until golden brown and crispy. Set aside. Arrange the slices of grilled tomato, fresh italian prosciutto, and burrata cheese onto a platter. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the grilled tomatoes. Option to season again with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves around the platter. If you only have larger leaves, thinly slice the basil into ribbons before scattering onto the dish. Finish the burrata cheese with the drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar and voila!
We hope you'll give this recipe a try! Don't forget to show us what you're cooking up in your own kitchen by tagging us @perfectlyimperfectproduce.com on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great weekend friends!
