Dreaming of Italy Caprese Toast for Slow Sundays

Caprese Toast

Good morning/afternoon ladies and gents..what a bunch of sleepy heads we are. Welcome  back to a new addition to our Slow Sundays feature here at More Than Burnt Toast. This has been a gloriously lazy weekend of staying up late and sleeping in, just as it should be. A Sunday should be slow, no rushing around, no big errands, just taking our time and mozying along. We have Meatless Mondays, Wordless Wednesdays so today we are back on track with our S-l-o-w Sunday feature. I took a little detour where my Sundays were spent developing peanut butter recipes but that is a story for another day.  My idea of enjoying a Sunday morning is to have a warm cup of tea and a long and lovingly prepared breakfast but often, especially when the weather turns warm, they are quite often all about being quick and no fuss as we head out the door on yet another adventure.

Since we had an unusually late start today breakfast is more of a brunch dish with a recipe from Chatelaine magazine. Not only am I dreaming of Italy but I am dreaming of summer with a balance of basil and sun-ripened tomatoes. Thank goodness for greenhouses here in the Great White North to keep summer alive all year round.


It seems that a delicious Bellini or Mimosa would be the perfect accompaniment rather than the usual "joe" so pull up a chair at our virtual table grab a napkin, crank up the Italian music, those travel magazines and let's start dreaming all over again.

“I was thrust into a fantasy land filled with ancient ruins, untouched earth, stunning scenery that the eyes cannot believe. The wonderful balance of posh and humble settings, and the hospitality by the strangers and warm society of the entire region made me [feel] like I belonged. Like I was at home. The time of my life.” —Matthew Brown

**Caprese Toast**

• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pinches of salt and pepper
• 1 thick focaccia loaf
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
• 6 large balls bocconcini
• 5 plum tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Place basil, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a blender. Whirl to a saucy consistency. Add more oil to make it more saucy, if needed. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Cut bread in half horizontally, then cut each half into quarters. Place cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread half of basil mixture over bread, then evenly sprinkle with mozzarella. Thickly slice bocconcini and tomatoes into rounds, then arrange in overlapping slices on top of bread. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper.

Bake in centre of preheated oven until cheese starts to melt, 7 to 10 minutes, then turn broiler to high. Broil until cheese begins to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining basil mixture. Cut each piece in half diagonally. Best served warm.

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