Festive Caprese Wreath

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Christmas, Italian, North American

Prep Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Simple, sweet, and cheesy!? You bet! This gorgeous Festive Caprese Wreath is easily prepared with hollowed-out cherry tomatoes stuffed with basil pesto and mini bocconcini. Sprinkle over some freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and tuck in some fresh basil leaves before serving!

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Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes
200 grams mini bocconcini
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil leaves

Instructions

The first thing you want to do is to source a board. The number of people you are serving and the number of items you have to place on the board, will help to determine the size you will need. You can use a cutting board, a charcuterie board, a marble slab, or an old silver-plated tray like you see in the photographs.
Next, tuck a few small bunches of fresh basil leaves around the board or platter. Position the basil so that the leaves are pointing out from the edge of the board or tray.
The size of the wreath will be determined by how many tomatoes and bocconcini you will be piling onto it, so size the wreath accordingly. It’s always best to ensure the fresh basil leaves protrude out larger than the base of the board or tray so that the greenery is not completely covered with food. Once you’re happy with positioning those, it’s time to assemble.
Begin by washing the tomatoes well and draining the bocconcini. With a sharp knife, cut the top off of each tomato. You will need to scoop out the flesh and pulp inside each tomato. Use a strawberry huller, or a very small pair of metal tongs to do this.
Once the top has been cut off the tomato, gently insert the huller or the tongs into the tomato and remove the pulp and seeds. Turn the tomato upside down onto a layer of clean paper towels. Do this until all of the tomatoes are prepped.
Next, set the tomatoes onto the platter. To keep the tomatoes from falling over, it’s best to pack them snugly against each other. Using a slightly rimmed plate or tray is a good way to keep them all sitting up straight.
Using a small spoon, drop about a half teaspoon of basil pesto into the cavity of each tomato. Next, insert mini bocconcini into each tomato. Press down gently to ensure the bocconcini is really in there.
Finally, sprinkle over the ground black pepper. You can add some salt too, if you wish, but I find that there’s enough salt in the pesto to season the tomatoes and the cheese. Drizzle over some really good olive oil just before serving.

Notes

The serving size is 2-3 per person.

Nutrition