Toasted Caprese Sandwich

rustic white Italian bread
sliced tomato
basil pesto (recipe follows)
fresh mozzarella (not the shredded stuff you use for pizza)
salt and pepper
butter

Spread both sides of the bread with pesto.  Slice the mozzarella thinly, and place on each slice of bread (this is the glue).  Put the tomatoes on and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put the bread together, melt butter in a pan or on a griddle, and toast the sandwich like you would a grilled cheese.

Basil Pesto

I use this recipe as a guide (as I do most recipes) and sometimes use walnuts instead of pine nuts, use less or more oil, or different amounts of garlic depending on the pungency of the garlic.  But it always has freshly grated parmesan cheese (I find it in the deli case at my Walmart in a block and I grate it in the food processor) and fresh basil.  Tonight it was so neat to just go out to my Mother’s Day garden and grab a big handful of basil!

3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.