These one-bite snacks take a little bit of time to put together but the brightness of the tomatoes with the creamy mozzarella and tangy balsamic will be a hit!
This is one of those recipes that just begs to be played around with - don't be afraid to try these with other oils and balsamic vinegars to experiment with different flavors! We highly recommend using The Flavor Bible to find different flavors to pair with the tomatoes. In this case, we chose our Prickly Pear Dark Balsamic - did you know the flavor of a prickly pear is reminiscent of watermelon? Did you ALSO know that watermelon actually pairs beautifully with tomatoes? We enjoyed the combo so much we just had to share it but have fun finding new combos of your own!
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella pearls or balls
- 16-24 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
- Basil Olive Oil for drizzling
- Prickly Pear Dark Balsamic for drizzling
- Sea Salt or Sea Salt Flakes
- Toothpicks
Stick the end of each toothpick into a cherry tomato, without piercing the bottom. Layer basil leaf, mozzarella pearl, basil leaf, and mozzarella pearl onto the rest of the toothpick - pushing together firmly to leave enough room for fingers to grab the open end of the toothpick. Repeat this process until all cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls or basil leaves have been used up - depending on how many tomatoes or mozzarella pearls are in your packages, the ingredients may not get used up equally. These can be made ahead up to 1 day in advance but wait to add oil/vinegar until right before serving.
When ready to serve, place on a serving platter or plate, then drizzle lightly with Basil Olive Oil, Prickly Pear Balsamic Vinegar and sprinkle sea salt lightly over the whole dish. Voila!
Take it a more savory route with our Shallot & Garlic EVOO and Caramelized Onion Dark Balsamic Vinegar. Or lighten it up with a varietal EVOO of your choice and the Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar.
