Avocado Caprese

Tomatoes, basil and cheese are the perfect food match and well-known as a caprese salad. Roasting the tomatoes first and then mixing them with Lemon Flavoured Avocado Oil creates a fantastic dressing which adds a delicious flavour to this impressive starter or side dish for a feast table.

INGREDIENTS
Oven-dried tomatoes
200 g baby rosa tomatoes, halved lengthwise
100 g cherry tomatoes, halved
large pinch of coarse salt

Caprese
45 ml (3 tbsp) Plain Avocado Oil
45 ml (3 tbsp) Lemon Flavoured Avocado Oil
3 large sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from the stalks
100 g exotic or more cherry tomatoes, quartered
1-2 medium, ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges and then halved
120 g bocconcini, halved or torn; or mozzarella, cubed; or ricotta cheese, crumbled
3 ripe avocados, halved, thinly sliced and fanned
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Oven-dried tomatoes: Preheat oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place rosa and cherry tomatoes on the baking tray in a single layer. Sprinkle coarse salt over. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until cooked and almost dried, but still holding their shape.
3. Caprese: Place oven-dried tomatoes with any pan juices, avocado oils and rosemary in a bowl and mix through. Add fresh tomatoes and cheese to the oven-dried tomatoes and toss through gently.
4. Marinate tomato mixture for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Place avocados cut side down on a large platter or individual plates and fan slightly. Top with tomato mixture and fresh basil.
6. Season with salt and a grind of black pepper and drizzle with the remaining tomato marinade. Serve as a starter, salad, side dish or part of a feast table.

KITCHEN TIPS
1. Garlic Flavoured Avocado Oil will also be delicious in this recipe. Substitute 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the plain avocado oil with garlic-flavoured avocado oil.
2. When fresh avocados aren’t available, enjoy the tomato mixture with Plain Guacamole.
3. The tomato mixture and avocado will be delicious as part of a brunch or breakfast. Enjoy with eggs and toasted ciabatta.
4. Try this recipe with any other cheese of your choice, like blue cheese, feta, pecorino or creamy goat’s cheese.

Avocado caprese – Westfalia Fruit. (2020, October 20). Westfalia Fruit.