We Are Now Willing To Make The Call: It Is Caprese Sandwich Season
I have this thing about caprese sandwiches. Wait, can I admit something real quick? I've been sitting on this caprese sandwich column for weeks, pushing it to the next day, then the next, waiting patiently for summer tomatoes to make their debut. When I saw a few end-of-spring tomatoes, I launched into this whole premature homemade condiment thing before realizing I was super-early to the party. I know by heart that tomatoes don't come out until July. I was just kind of hoping this year would be different, you know?
A great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Thanks, moving on. The combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil will always be universally pleasing. But if the tomatoes and basil are in season and it's hot and humid enough to bring the bring the mozzarella to its glorious proper temperature of ROOM (and no less), where it's moist, its pores are open and its tender, milky goodness can really be appreciated, there's no comparison. It's not like we wait months for peanuts and strawberries to come into season so we can make them into PB&Js.
I get overly excited about the colors of heirloom tomatoes against the white mozzarella and green basil, selecting tomatoes at the market according to whether the yellow-green striped, orange-red splotched and purple-brown swirled will complement each other (in my stomach, after I instagram it). These juicy and bountiful weeks are precious few, and so I pledge to do the following:
- Make beautiful grilled cheese
- Make tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches
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Upgrade my mozzarella in a big, big way, because the tomatoes deserve it - Put strawberry-tomato relish on everything
- Mix tomatoes with other fruits because it's just plain classy
- Take my own cherry tomato glut advice
- Make pizza that isn't pizza because there are currently better things to do with tomatoes
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Sneak them into smoothies — they're totally sweet enough - Pa amb tomàquet everything involving bread
There are other reasons I'm writing about a beautiful Italian combination I'll reveal depending on how dinner tonight goes. I can't help wondering if tomato season has this effect on anyone else.
More lunches to eat this summer on Food Republic: