mozzarella

Green Beans and Cherry Tomato Grattinate

/ christineouteraisle / Leave a comment
Ingredients

1½ pounds fresh green beans
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ pound cherry tomatoes, preferably small grape tomatoes
½ pound fresh mozzarella
6 basil leavesgreen bean corn tomato salad
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

Directions

Arrange a rack in the top half of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water (at least 5 quarts) and bring it to the boil.

Trim both ends of the beans and remove strings (if they’re an old fashioned variety and have strings). Dump them all into the boiling water, cover the pot until the water boils again, then cook uncovered, for 10 minutes or so, until they are just cooked through-tender but still firm enough to snap.

Drain the beans briefly in a colander then put them in a big kitchen bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt on the hot beans and toss them so they’re all seasoned. Let the salt melt and the beans cool for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and dry the tomatoes; if they’re larger than an inch, slice them in halves, otherwise leave them whole. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Slice the basil leaves into thin shreds or chiffonade.

Toss the grated cheese and bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Lightly grease the insides of the baking dish with a teaspoon or more of the butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese and bread crumb mix all over the bottom of the dish.

When the beans are no longer steaming, drop the tomatoes, cubes of mozzarella and basil shreds on top. Drizzle the olive oil over all, sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss together a few times. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheesy bread crumbs on top and toss well, so everything is coated.

Turn the vegetables, scraping up all the crumbs, into the baking dish and spread them in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup of crumbs; cut the rest of the butter in small pieces, and scatter them all over the top. Place the dish in the oven.

Bake the grattinate for 10 minutes, then rotate it back to front and bake another 10 minutes. Check to see that it is browning and bake a few minutes more, until the grattinate is dark golden and crusted. (If the crumbs still look pale after 20 minutes in your oven, raise the temperature, to 400 or 425 degrees and bake until done.)

Serve the hot grattinate in the baking dish.

Caprese Salad

/ outeraislefoods / Leave a comment

We have our first tomatoes of the season coming in, and you know what that means? One of my favorite Summertime treats: caprese salad. With simple fresh ingredients and limited cooking, the secret to the perfect caprese salad lies in the quality of ingredients.  So below I’ve got not just how to put together a caprese salad, but what makes for the best tomato, the best mozzarella, and how to create a balsamic reduction.

Ingredients needed:

  • Fresh Mozzarella
  • Tomatoes
  • Basil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

What makes the perfect mozzarella?

For fresh mozzarella (the type you will need for a caprese salad) there are two dimensions: Flavor and texture. It goes without saying the the fattier the mozzarella (the higher fat content/percentage in the milk used for making it), the stronger the flavor. Check the fat content on the package to find the one that works best for you. Texture change as the cheese ages.  The fresher/newer the cheese, the firmer and more elastic it is. This if the type of cheese that you will likely want for a caprese salad.

What makes the perfect tomato?

For a caprese salad, you will want a firm tomato with tender unblemished skin (as you will not be peeling them). Especially good tomatoes will feel heavy for their size and will be filled with juice when you cut into them. If you are growing them yourself, pick them off the vine just as their color is starting to change from orange to red.  Keep them indoors out from direct sunlight (but not in the fridge) for 4-5 days.  This will help them develop but not overripen and draw out more flavor.

How do you create a balsamic reduction?

A balsamic reduction will intensify the complex flavor of the balsamic to a state of become almost a glaze or sauce on its own. To create a balsamic reduction, pour 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Once hot, drop the temperature down to low and let it reduce down to half its original size (about 10-15 minutes), stirring consistently and watching it carefully. Burning it is an easy task, so keep the overhead fan on with all that vinegar in the air and watch it carefully.  You will know that it’s done when it coats the spoon when you take it out but the reduction is still pourable. If you end up going too far and it’s not pourable, stir in a little water and cook back down to the desired point. Use on your caprese salad, or as a drizzle over beef.  If you love balsamic, check out the balsamic black pepper strawberry jam recipe here!

 

Directions for the Caprese Salad:

  1. Make your balsamic reduction (see above) and let cool down to room temperature.
  2. Cut your tomatoes into thick slices.
  3. Cut your mozzarella into slices of the same thickness as the tomatoes.
  4. Lay your slices of cheese and tomato interchanged on a plate, layering leaves of basil in between.
  5. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the salad, sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.