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| Bocconcini Salad |
Appetizers
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| A simple Bocconcini cheese, tomato and basil salad. Serves one. |
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Notes: This salad consists of cheese, tomato and basil. The three colours: red, white and green, are symbolic of the Italian flag. The thing about this salad is its simplicity; it can be made in a minute, or two, with no fuss. The tomato can be skinned and deseeded, although, this adds to the salad's preparation time and defeats the purpose. Bocconcini is a skimmed milk cheese product, which is formed into small balls, about 1 1/2 - 2-inches large; mini versions are also available. They are usually sold packed in water, about 6 per plastic container. There"s nothing to this cheese. It"s bland, pasty and rubbery; however, it accepts the flavours of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar very well. Any tomato, oil and vinegar, can be substituted. Other ingredients can also be included: bell peppers, olives, onions and so on. Nothing's carved in stone! If fresh basil isn't available, then use dried. The oregano, dry or fresh, is optional and can also be used. For a larger gathering, double, or triple, the ingredients and then arrange everything on a large platter. Make the salad minutes before serving it: otherwise, the cheese becomes gummy. How: Core and cut the tomato into wedges, or slices, and then arrange in a plate. Slice the Bocconcini into 1/4-inch thick slices, or so, and then arrange between wedges or in a decorative manner. Top the centre with a few basil leaves. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper (and oregano if using), drizzle a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then sprinkle extra finely chopped basil leaves (optional) over everything. Serve salad cold with thick slices of soft, crusty Italian bread, or any other choice of bread. |
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| Looking Back at Everything You've Made! Simply the best. |
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