Halloween Caprese Salad

 

The week before last we had a little bit of spooky fun with a skull-shaped cheese ball. This week the skulls are of a smaller size and part of a Caprese salad. You have probably seen this online as it seems to be quite popular this year. It’s easy to put together, and quite tasty, working equally well as a side dish, or as a part of a charcuterie tray. The skull molds are a breeze to use (I got them here), and you can even mess things up and still come out just fine. The directions call for you to soften the cheese in the oven, and then press it lightly with a paper towel into the mold.  I was busy the day that I made these, left them in the oven too long, and the cheese melted. Not to worry, I put them right into the fridge, and after 30 minutes popped them right out. Are they perfect? No. Do they look just fine? They certainly do, and have the added benefit of looking as though they’ve rotted away a bit.  Great fun for Halloween.Halloween Caprese Salad

8 oz. fresh mozzarella balls 

1 pt. Melissa’s organic heirloom tomatoes

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. good olive oil

¼ c. fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Make the mozzarella skulls:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the  silicon molds onto a rimmed baking sheet for stability. Lightly spray the interiors of the skull molds with PAM. Add a ball of mozzarella to each skull cavity. Bake for 6-8 minutes to soften the cheese. Use a folded paper towel to press the softened cheese into the molds (the paper towel will absorb the liquid that is released from the mozzarella). Transfer the molds to the refrigerator and let chill for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the mold and repeat with remaining cheese until all the mozzarella is formed into skulls.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and then toss the tomatoes and mozzarella skulls, with the balsamic and olive oil. Scatter basil leaves over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

 Happy Halloween, everybody!

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