berry
mozzarella
basil
mothers day
spring
lunch
summer
appetizers
grilled
crostini

This "berry-good" spin on Caprese salad over bread tops grilled (or toasted) bread with fresh mozzarella (or ricotta cheese), blueberries + basil.

Note about zest: Zest is the colorful thin outer skin part of citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits; it provides intense flavor and aroma to both savory and sweet dishes. To remove the zest, scrape the outer layer with a 'zester' or a rasp taking care to just remove the thin colorful skin and not the bitter white pith underneath it. If you don't have either of those tools you can use a peeler and remove strips of the zest, inspect the underside of each of the strips for any white pith, which can easily be remove by shaving it away using a paring knife. Once you have the pith-free strips, thinly slice or finely chop up the zest.

For more savory berry recipes, try Rach's Grilled Cheese with Blackberry, Balsamic and Basil or this Arugula Salad With Quinoa, Blueberries & Blue Cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 pint fresh blueberries
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon
  • ⅓ cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
  • About 20 leaves (a big handful) fresh basil, torn or sliced into ribbons
  • 1 large ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 to 10 slices or 1 ½ to 2 cups good quality ricotta cheese
  • Eight to ten ½-inch thick slices crusty bread such as ciabatta, grilled or toasted

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Combine blueberries, lemon zest and juice and olive oil in a mixing bowl and season with a little salt and a liberal amount of freshly ground black pepper. Smash about 1/4 of the berries with the back of a fork. You can even place the berry mixture in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds to really get the juices flowing!

Let the mixture sit for as long as you can or even overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, add the basil to the blueberries and toss to combine. Top the grilled or toasted bread slices with a slice of the mozzarella or some ricotta then top each one with some of the blueberry mixture.