Caprese Sandwiches at the Hollywood Bowl

I've seen several shows at the Hollywood Bowl. From a reggae festival to Paul McCartney. It really doesn't seem to matter who's playing that night, it's always magical. The vast outdoor seating lets you gaze upon the stars in beautiful evening temperatures. Everyone around you is eating, drinking and dancing. One of the coolest things to do in L.A..

My dear friend Kathryn was kind enough to invite me to join her at the Bowl one evening last week  for a Mexican music festival. I volunteered to be in charge of the food in exchange. She is a foodie herself so the pressure was on. What to make for dining al fresco without a lot of space to eat? I decided to keep it on a finger-food level. Nothing we needed utensils for or that would end up all over our laps! Here's the sandwich I came up with.

Caprese Sandwiches

Simple Pesto Sauce (makes enough for 3-4 sandwiches)

    •    3 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried as well as possible (salad spinner works great!)
    •    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    •    1 clove of garlic
    •    2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
    •    1/2 tsp lemon juice
    •    1/4 tsp kosher salt
    •    1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Start with 2/3 of the olive oil first. Pulse until all of the ingredients are blended smoothly together. If the pesto seems a little dry, add the remainder of the olive oil. Set aside

Sandwich

• fresh, artisan bread or rolls; I like ciabatta rolls or focaccia bread; sliced in half
• fresh mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella is amazing!; dry well with paper towels; 1/4 inch slices
• organic tomatoes, try heirlooms; 1/4 inch slices
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Spread  a thin layer of the pesto sauce onto both sides of the bread. Add a layer of tomatoes, lightly salt and pepper them. Add a layer of mozzarella on top of the tomatoes. Top with the second piece of bread. Cut in half if you like. Serve immediately. Letting the sandwiches sit too long will allow them to get soggy. Yuck!

I will be posting the appetizer I made for the show in a few days.
 

*Reminder! In a few weeks the new address of this blog will be: www.foodismmom.com