published on in blog

Heirloom Caprese w/ Mint Pesto

summer / salads / gluten free

heirloom caprese with mint pesto / @loveandlemons heirloom caprese with mint pesto / @loveandlemons

And the season of simple recipes continues…

“What are you going to do with these?” asked the farm-stand man as I was fixating on these 3 gorgeous golden tomatoes. This question always flusters me… I should have an answer, but truthfully, I buy things on a whim and usually decide what to make later. And in this case, these tomatoes were so spectacular that knew I wasn’t going to “do” much.

heirloom caprese with mint pesto / @loveandlemons

“Um… I’m probably just going to slice and eat them…” He looked at me with a huge grin as if I had just given the right answer. I could tell he was pleased that his tomatoes would be heading to a good home. Then he told me they would be perfect tomorrow, but only tomorrow.

This is what I love about summer.

Here’s the plate of beautiful sliced tomatoes that we enjoyed last Sunday night… elevated (just slightly) with slices of fresh mozzarella and a bright mint pesto.

A little pesto goes a long way – save the extra for simple meals throughout the week. If you make this tag #loveandlemons or @loveandlemons on Instagram!

heirloom caprese w/ mint pesto

  PrintAuthor: Serves: serves 2-3 as an appetizerIngredients
  • 2 large heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
  • salt & pepper
  • optional - red pepper flakes & sprouts for garnish
mint pesto: (this makes extra)
  • a huge handful of mint
  • a few basil leaves
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • juice & zest of 1 small lemon
  • ¼ - ⅓ cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  • In a small food processor, blend together the mint, basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon, salt and pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil until and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Slice tomatoes and cheese and arrange on a plate. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle pesto over the top.
  • Store extra pesto in the fridge.
  • Notesvegan option: Skip the cheese and just drizzle tomatoes with pesto. Or try sliced avocado in place of the cheese.3.4.3177

    Plate: Anthropologie

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