Get Fresh

The other day, I was taking inventory of what we had in the pantry and our refrigerator. I came across an unopened package of soft mozzarella that had a looming expiration date.
Today, after picking up Scott and Amy, we swung by the grocery store and picked up a half dozen Roma tomatoes and a loaf of crusty french bread. Mmmmm.. I knew that we would be fixing something yummy.  Something fresh!

When I got home, I put on one of my favorite aprons and gathered things I would need for this simple recipe. I cut, snipped and pressed fresh ingredients. As the olive oil coated pan heated up, I began to layer the ingredients on top of each other. There is just something about the smell of garlic browning in olive oil that makes you breathe deep and take a moment to be thankful you are not just grabbing something off a shelf or out of the microwave. Convenience comes with a price. Cooking feeds more than just your stomach.

I combined a few recipes I found on-line, and came up with what I think was a delicious Open-Face Caprese Sandwich. My family whole-heartily agreed.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

4 thick slices of crusty french bread

thinly sliced soft mozzarella cheese ( Costco has already sliced packs )

3 – 4 tomatoes – thinly sliced

12 fresh basil leaves. Sliced into thin strands.

sea salt

Preparation:

1. Heat a deep skillet in olive oil and crushed garlic.

2. Put french bread slices in pan and heat over medium heat until lightly toasted.

3. Turn bread over and move around in the pan to absorb any extra oil .

4. Top with tomato slices, then basil strands, and finally, top with mozzarella cheese.

5. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

6. Turn heat down and put lid on pan for about 4 minutes or until cheese softens.

7.  Sprinkle with sea salt  and serve.

ENJOY!