Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Bites

At the risk of telling you something you don't already know, this is the best appetizer ever (and it's so easy!)! While you all know that I love to bake a good (and sometimes even painstaking) cake or whatever dessert it may be, I also enjoy a good, simple recipe. To be quite honest, I rarely have the time (or ingredients) for many recipes I find, and I'm sure many of you can relate to this... buttermilk, anyone? Plus, fresh tomatoes are perfect in the summer... especially if you're able to get Jersey tomatoes! 





Ingredients:
2 tomatoes (I like the vine ripened tomatoes and got about 1 tray full per 2 tomatoes)
Basil leaves (1 per tomato slice)
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt (I think sea salt tastes best)
Pepper

Directions:
Slice the tomatoes and lay flat on a tray. Slice the mozzarella next (if your tomato slices are thin, you may want to cut the mozzarella into smaller pieces so that it doesn't overpower the other flavors) and place over tomatoes, one piece per slice. Top each with a fresh basil leaf and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over top, following with the olive oil (I tend to be generous with my drizzling but I like to be able to taste the vinegar and oil). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and serve!

I first learned this recipe from my sister-in-law a couple summers ago and I've been making it ever since! The great thing about this recipe is that you can really tailor it to your own tastes and add or subtract whatever ingredients you'd like. Another fun twist on this for appetizers is to use cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls and put everything together on a toothpick :) It's a fun presentation and still tastes just as good (you may want to leave off the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil this way, though, as they can be a little messy). I hope you all have a great weekend! Any fun plans?

Enjoy!

❤Britt