Hello, everybody!! Fresh Pioneer is back and I have super quick little meal for those days when you just can't choke down one more slow-cooker stew or one more deep dish casserole. I have to admit, that's almost never me. If someone delivered a home-made mac and cheese every day, I would eat it and be HAPPY.
But every now and then, I want something else. This recipe is for those winter days when you don't need the comfort food, but you do need something that reminds you SPRING WILL COME. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday soon.
Ingredients.
Yup, this is almost all we're going to use. Edna made unhappy noises, not completely sold on the idea of dinner made from four items out of the fridge and not even warmed up!
OK, red cherry tomatoes and yellow mini tomatoes. I won't tell you how much these cost, but a little bit of me rebelled at the price because in the summer, we have so many that we feed them to the chickens. Mountains of them. And now I just bought a tiny plastic container for as much as a mocha grande. Horrors.
I couldn't help eating a bunch, but I could almost hear the sound of quarters sliding into a vending machine slot with every bite. Ka-CHING. Ka-CHING. It was worth it.
Good salami. (I'm not talking to the salami, that's a description. But I might have whispered a few sweet nothings to it.)
Fresh mozzarella. Not the low-moisture kind you shred for lasagna. There's a woman in town that makes fresh mozzarella. I keep saying I'm going to learn, since she says it's so easy, but so far... I just eat it.
Fresh basil. Just smelling it made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. This is aromatherapy for foodies.
Olive oil.
Small person roughly chopping basil leaves. Mmmmm, my toddler smells delicious.
Add a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix and set aside.
Take a toothpick, assemble tomatoes, a roll of salami, and small piece of fresh mozzarella. Repeat until you have the desired amount. This made an awful lot, but the good part is that you can adjust the amount to how many people you have.
Now, sprinkle on the fresh basil/olive oil and enjoy!
I wish this came with a scratch and sniff button. It was heavenly!
Until next time, my friends! (I have a crazy, incredible cheesecake recipe to share so diet now so you can enjoy it!)
ws this just for you or did your hubby chow down - doesn't look like guy food LOL! I had somethign similar last night- friend cooked a casserole but before the meal she had crackers and this cheese thingy- turns out HEB grocery sells this cheese/salami/sundried tomato/something or other roll that you slice into rounds..already done! delish. this looks prettier though! and yep those little maters are pricey- I can't seem to grow them so I always pay a lot for mediocre tomatoes. :-(
ReplyDeleteSusanna
I was a little worried (not, he's a grown man, he can cook) that he wouldn't like it but he LOVED it. He eats a lot more fresh food than I do. He actually didn't grow up with the whole canned soup casserole idea and toward the end of winter starts to get kind of.... tired of cooked food. Maybe because he grew up in a tropical place where there was fresh food year round?
DeleteYummy and simple -- I'd make these for a cool meal in the summer for sure...sans the salami but these days tomatoes taste like nothing up here. I think they have to pick them way too early in order for them to be shipped north. Yuck. But I'm planting a cherry tomato plant just so I can do this in the summer.
ReplyDeleteWaiting with bated breath for the cheese cake. :-)
Haha! I was worried about the cherry tomatoes, too. But they were delicious! And our regular tomatoes from the store are like cardboard and have no smell. But not sure where they come from, but the cherry tomatoes were from California, so maybe they just had to make it one state!
DeleteVirginia, I love basil, tomato and mozzarella salad. A little olive oil, a little cracked pepper... Never tried it with salami, though. Might have rethink my salad next time. :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm waiting eagerly for that cheesecake recipe.
DeleteI've had the caprese salad, too. and I think Julie did one here. But I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was so pretty! And TASTY. I'm not a real salami fan (it always tastes a little too peppery) but it was perfect with the fresh mozzarella.
Deletewhere is everyone?! it's almost 3 pm here and hardly anyone here! Is there a party somewhrere I didnt' know about?! :-)
ReplyDeleteSusanna
They're avoiding you, Susanna, who is now anonymous again!! LOL
DeleteI only have an identity on the old computer at home - google keeps not recognizing my log in attempts LOL and somehow I ended up logged on permanently there - maybe when the computer crashes it'll forget me again...
DeleteSusanna
This looks amazing! Yes, the smell of basil is an instant pick-me-up for me! Aroma therapy for foodies! Love that quote. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso cracking up about picturing you talking to the salami. ;)
Thanks for sharing! The cost of our tomatoes are outrageous now, too. But those little ones are tasty!
I think I'll plant basil this year. I usually only have lavender, thyme, mint, and oregano. It smelled soooooo good, I just have to have some year round.
DeleteWhat a fun idea! Love it!!!! And paying crazy prices for out-of-season stuff is one of those rarities around here, too... but every once in a while, I want to taste something that isn't broccoli slaw!!!! This would work!
ReplyDeleteI still haven't tried the broccoli slaw and I'm pretty sure this is NOT diet food, but it IS super tasty!
DeleteTeasing with cheesecake....
ReplyDeleteOh.
You're good.
Well, I have to bring the conversation here somehow! I don't have a big name or any cows, so I must spread the word about the CHEESECAKE.
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