Caprese Pops

I was on appetizer duty for an Italian family dinner this past weekend and my ever faithful trio of tomato, basil and mozzarella was an obvious choice. This is a great way to enjoy the flavors of Caprese in bite sized portions with a fun presentation.

There's no wrong way to eat Caprese.

Caprese Pops

Grape tomatoes, cut in half horizontally

Ciliegine (small fresh mozzarella balls)

Fresh basil leaves

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Bamboo skewers

Place fresh mozzarella balls in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat. 

Arrange pops as shown in the photo above. Serve on a platter.

Eggplant Caprese Stacks

I know, I know. ANOTHER eggplant recipe. I just can't get enough! I could eat eggplant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And probably even some kind of dessert. Eggplant does tend to have a strange texture and I find you either love it, or you hate it. I think I fall in the category of being obsessed. What I like best about eggplant is that the neutral flavor takes on whatever you pair it with, making it easy to experiment with. 


My grandparents have been sharing their garden fresh tomatoes and Caprese always makes the top of the list for simple Summer sides. This time, I roasted eggplant slices to anchor the Caprese stacks with.  And all stomachs left the dinner table happy.

Roasted Eggplant Caprese Stacks


1 eggplant, sliced 1/2" thick
tomato, sliced
fresh mozzarella, sliced
basil leaves, whole
good olive oil
salt & pepper, to season


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Slice eggplant and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Water droplets will form on the eggplant slices, pat these dry. (this takes the bitterness out). Brush eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on each side. Bake for 20 minutes.


To assemble caprese, stack eggplant, mozzarella, basil leaf and tomato. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Caprese Salad + Balsamic Reduction

I make no apologies for my love affair for what I claim to be the holy trinity of all food pairings. If I had it my way, I would make certain that some form of tomato, basil and mozzarella would make its way into my life daily. However, since everyday can't be Christmas, I figure that this, too should be enjoyed in moderation, only to appreciate it more. 

BUT...With Summer upon us and fresh produce abounding, I foresee Caprese in copious amounts. Like in a Christmas everyday kind of way. (the bright colors of red, green and white are rather appropriate, too. No?)

We normally opt for a simple Caprese Stack with layers of basil, tomato and mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Now that I have some fun oils and vinegars to play with, I decided to spice things up and add a sweet balsamic reduction. I brushed sliced mozzarella and tomatoes with good quality olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, topped with fresh basil and assembled it all on top of a bed of baby greens tossed in oil. I finished it off by drizzling with balsamic reduction, making for a beautiful summer side dish. 

Balsamic Reduction

1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar

In a small saute pan, heat the vinegar to medium-high heat. The vinegar will start to heat up, boil and bubble. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vinegar has been reduced to half of the original amount, about 10 minutes. The vinegar will be sticky and syrupy. 

Let reduction cool and drizzle over the top of your caprese salad, grilled meats, vegetables and even vanilla gelato!