Heirloom Caprese Toasts with Truffle Salt

Um, what’s with all the Fall food I’m seeing around?

Am I the only one that is aware that it is still Summer until September 21?! What about the corn and the watermelon? The peaches and the lemonade? The TOMATOES?! You guys, What. About. The. Tomatoes.

Okay, but really, I get it. Fall food is amazing, and I even opened up a can of pumpkin at the beginning of August. But let’s try to remember that tomatoes will be terrible for the next half a year, at least, so we need to take advantage of their perfect ripeness while we can.

The heirlooms I used in this? Quite possibly the most amazing tomatoes I’ve ever eaten in all my life—true tomato perfection in look and taste (how gorgeous are they?!).

In my opinion, the absolute best way to enjoy awesome tomatoes is in Insalata Caprese. While I’m sure you are all perfectly capable of throwing together tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil, I’ve added just a small spin on the classic that I just had to share.

Basically, you just cut a baguette in half, cut it into whatever size sections you want, grill it, and rub some fresh garlic on it. Then, top it with the traditional fixings: gorgeous tomatoes, basil, and sliced, fresh mozzarella. I decided to get fancy and use truffle salt to season my tomatoes. You don’t there to be a hugely overwhelming truffle flavor (so I don’t recommend any truffle oils); it’s just a light aroma that takes this from amazing to amaze-balls.

You also want to use a really good, fruity olive oil to drizzle. Oh, and this is important…balsamic vinegar is not allowed! In traditional caprese, vinegar is never used because it can break down the fresh mozzarella, and overwhelm the fresh tomatoes.

You may notice there are no amounts in this recipe. That’s because it’s more of a guideline than a recipe. Maybe you want to cut your tomatoes thinner or thicker than mine? Maybe you’d like to cut your baguette pieces into little appetizer-sized sections? Do what ya want 🙂

I’d also like to point out, that if you somehow wind up with leftovers, you can wrap ’em in foil and put ’em in the fridge. Then heat them up later in a 350 degree oven for like 10 minutes. The cheese will get all melty and wonderful!

P.S.— If you can’t find truffle salt, just use a nice sea salt. Or go with a smoked salt to play off the smokiness of the grilled baguette!