Buffallo Mozzarella Tomato Basil Appetizers Recipes

BUFFALLO MOZZARELLA TOMATO BASIL APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Mix 4 tablespoons with the garlic if using in a small bowl. Reserve the rest of the olive oil for drizzle. Cut the bread into ½ to ¾ inch rounds. Brush with the olive oil and toast in a toaster oven or preheated oven until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Top the bread rounds (crostinis) with sliced tomato. Sprinkle with sea salt. Then top with generous slices of mozzarella (boccaccini if you have it) cut to fit. Broil in the toaster oven or oven until the cheese just starts to melt. Top with basil cut into long thin slices. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve. You can use regular ingredients but the simple flavors really shine and become truly spectacular if you use a very high quality olive oil (it's worth the extra price) and a really nice flaky sea salt (eg. fleur de sel). For the photo I used Kangaroo Paw Australian Extra-Virgin olive oil with mountain pepper and Fleur de Sel sea salt. Outstanding crisp and fresh flavors. The baguette was also home-made based upon Julia Childs method outlined in the second volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I'm slowly gaining ground on making a near perfect loaf of french bread.

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA POACHED IN TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, remaining salt and pepper to taste. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Place the mozzarella in the simmering sauce; only half of each mozzarella ball should be submerged. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Chop 8 of the basil leaves and cut the rest across into thin strips.
• Remove the mozzarella from the sauce, being careful not to splash sauce on the top of each ball. Stir the chopped basil into the sauce and scrape it into a serving bowl. Place the mozzarella back in the sauce. Stir the basil strips into the garlic oil and spoon the mixture over the mozzarella. Serve with toasted slices of good country-style bread.