Caprese canapés with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil pesto and buffalo mozzarella on crusty sourdough toasts. A fantastic summer appetizer.
I’m not completely sure why I love canapés so much. Something about the combination of multiple layers of flavour and nibble-ability. But as a vegetarian you can end up feeling very left out when the plate is brought round. Those beautiful little creations being wafted under your nose and then whipped away when you reveal your preference. Cruel.
But not in my house. I first made these for my sister’s wedding, where they held up for quite a few hours before serving, much to my joy, and went down very well.
Wafers of sourdough bread, toasted crisp in a low oven…
Moist, flavourful explosions of juicy tomato…
Sweet, herby drizzle of homemade pesto.
Ans cool, creamy buffalo mozzarella…
All in one summery bite.
I haven’t included strict instructions for this recipe. It’s more about giving you an example of vibrant, interesting flavours layered onto a little bit of toast. This combination is stellar. But so would many others you can put together with ease. And a little bit of thought.
Lastly, hot tip! If you want your homemade pesto to stay bright green, add a touch of lemon juice to the mix.
Caprese canapés
Ingredients
- thin sourdough flute
- slow-roasted cherry tomatoes get the recipe here
- buffalo mozzarella it must be buffalo for this!!
- homemade pesto get a great recipe and how-to here
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170c. Slice the flute vertically, as thinly as possible, into slender circles of bread. Lay in a single layer, on a rack in the oven. Toast for about 10 minutes, until dried and crunchy. Take out and leave to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate or board.
- Layer slow-dried tomatoes (skin first), a little buffalo mozzarella and the tiniest drizzle of fresh pesto.
- These are best eaten sooner rather than later, but as I mentioned in the post, I have seen them hold up for a few hours if necessary.
