By Fourth of July prep — the Claycut Drive institution continues, blackened shrimp. Summer in full bloom, the kind of heat that makes you question everything except the quality of the food on the table and the cold beer in your hand. The kids are in their summer shapes: Colette drawing and painting with the intensity of someone who sees the world as a canvas and refuses to leave any part of it unfinished. Rémy in the kitchen, in the bayou, in the drainage ditch (still no fish there — eighth year of commitment to a fishless ditch, which is either persistence or insanity, and in the Beaumont family, those are the same thing).
The food was summer food — light where it could be, heavy where it wanted to be, and always, always, with the cayenne and the garlic and the holy trinity that makes everything in this kitchen Cajun regardless of origin. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. And both were good. C\'est bon.
When the blackened shrimp is the main event, you need something on the table that stays out of its way — something cool and fresh to cut through all that cayenne and garlic. These Caprese Tomato Bites were exactly that: light where they needed to be, summer in every single bite, and gone before Rémy even made it back from the ditch.
Caprese Tomato Bites
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
- 24 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Toothpicks or small skewers
Instructions
- Prep the tomatoes. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Slice a thin cap off the top of each tomato if desired to create a flat surface.
- Assemble the bites. Thread one basil leaf, one mozzarella cube, and one cherry tomato onto each toothpick or skewer. Arrange on a serving platter.
- Season. Drizzle the assembled bites evenly with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Serve. Serve immediately at room temperature for the best flavor, or refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 72 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 95mg