“End of Summer Rolls” Caprese-Style

“End of Summer Rolls” Caprese-Style

Heirloom Tomato, Burrata, Basil, Rice Noodle
Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Perhaps you’ve heard me bemoan the ubiquitous Caprese Salad and all its incarnations?

Caprese grilled cheese, caprese kabobs, caprese bruschetta, caprese pasta salad, caprese pizza, caprese schmaese. But when I was challenged to come up with a tomato dish by our friendly Creative Cooking Crew, forgive me but I turned to those very Caprese ingredients. After all, there truly is something magical about the classic pairing of tomato and mozzarella and basil. Especially in summer. And what better way to bid farewell to the fabulous Summer of 2014, than with Caprese Summer Rolls – light, fresh, refreshing. These hand-held bites capture summer’s waning days in a tidy rice paper wrapper.

Caprese Summer Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

• colorful heirloom tomatoes, sliced into half-moons
• burrata cheese
• rice noodles, cooked, at room temperature
• basil
• 8 1/2″ rice paper (spring roll) wrappers
• salt to taste
• olive oil & balsamic vinegar as dip

Fill a pie plate with cold water. Dip a rice paper wrapper in the water until it becomes slightly pliable then spread it flat between two clean damp towels. Lift off the top towel then assemble the the roll as follows:

Place three tomato slices about an inch from the bottom of the wrapper. Top with noodles, burrata, chiffonade of basil, season with salt.

Roll the bottom of the rice paper over the tomato mix as tight as possible to complete one turn, then fold in the sides. Next, place three more tomato slices and petite basil leaves on the rice paper then finish rolling into a tight package.

Place the bright green side of small basil leaves facing out, that makes a very pretty presentation when the roll is completed. Cover with a damp towel until ready to serve, but don’t let them touch or they’ll stick together. Serve with fruity olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar as a dip.

Creative Cooking Crew

featuring

Tomatoes

The Creative Cooking Crew is a group of innovative food bloggers hosted by Laz of Lazaro Cooks! and Joan of FOODalogue. Each month brings a new culinary challenge with a round-up of all the entries posted at the end of the month. Although there is no real judging and the challenges are all just for fun, we take pride in sharing our entries, pushing our culinary limits.

August’s Challenge is TOMATOES to which I am bringing my “End of Summer Rolls” Caprese-Style showcasing heirloom tomatoes. Joan is featuring all the creative tomato recipes in a round-up on her blog on 8/29.

Food Network

featuring

Labor Day Theme

Summer Soiree is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite summer dishes. Be sure to check out the Pinterest Board with over 200,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!

And if these End of Summer Rolls got you in the nostalgic for all things Labor Day related – you might enjoy taking a peek at other inspired recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…

Feed Me Phoebe: Hot Crab Dip with Jalapenos and Scallions
The Heritage Cook: Four Sauces Designed for Grilled Foods (Gluten-Free)
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Grilled Brined Chicken with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Dishing with Divya: Baked Vegetable Sacks
Virtually Homemade: Roasted Summer Vegetables with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Weelicious: Heirloom Tomato Salad
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Peach and Blueberry Baked Fruit Pizza
Devour: Cooking Channel’s Ultimate Labor Day Party Menu
Dishin & Dishes: Grilled Chicken with Board Sauce
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Heirloom Tomatoes and Two Rice Salad
Domesticate Me: 10 Fabulous Summer Recipes for Labor Day
Taste With The Eyes: “End of Summer Rolls” Caprese-Style
FN Dish: Day-Off Desserts for Labor Day