A Caprese salad with its ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and bright basil, what could be better? Put all of that in a sandwich, and things just got better. Much better. We created a thick, syrupy jam by popping cherry tomatoes with our 18 Year Balsamic, and subbed in our Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the fresh herb. The result? Sandwich heaven.
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt & Pepper
Mozzarella Cheese
Sandwich bread
Directions:
To make the Tomato Spread: Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Drizzle in about 2 tablespoons Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add in the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a dash of salt. You can cut the tomatoes in half prior to cooking to speed up the process. Saute the tomatoes until they begin to blister and pop. Continue sautéing until the juices from the tomatoes reduce a bit and begin to thicken. Drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of 18 Year Balsamic Vinegar. Saute to reduce a bit and allow to thicken into a syrup-like consistency. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool
To make the sandwiches: Place a nonstick pan on a burner but do not turn on. Drizzle Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil to just coat the surface of the pan. Place a slice of bread on the oil and begin building your sandwich. Place a slice of mozzarella on the bread. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the tomato jam on top. Place another slice of mozzarella on top of the jam and top with another slice of bread. Turn the burner on to low-medium heat so that the sandwich heats and melts the cheese. If you brown the bread too quickly, the center of the sandwich will be cold. As you see the cheese melting, bring up the heat to medium high to brown the bread. Carefully flip the sandwich and lower the heat. Heat the second side slowly allowing the sandwich to heat through again. Turn up the heat to brown the bread. Serve and enjoy!