I really dislike the end of July/early August in Illinois. The temperatures and humidity are out of control and my days of standing outside for 8+ hours are about to begin (yay band camp!) Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, just not the weather that goes along with camp.
However, this time of year does redeem itself in one crucial area: tomatoes. My time at the csa this week was half spent on picking tomatoes. There are so many different varieties that I get carried away picking because they all look delicious. So, I end up with a stock pile of tomatoes and a quest to use them in just about everything.
The Caprese salad is one of my favorite yet I don’t often eat it because frankly, there is usually a lot of cheese. So, I devised a way to incorporate the flavors into a healthy side dish that is perfect for so many meals (plus, I can still have my tomatoes and a little mozzarella!)
- ½ cup medium grain brown rice
- 1 cup veggie broth
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- In a sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute until fragrant and add in rice. Toast rice for 3 minutes. Pour in broth, tomatoes, and basil, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Let rice cook for 25-30 until all the water has absorbed and rice is tender. Add in mozzarella and cream, stirring until cheese is melted. To serve, sprinkle fresh basil on top.
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