If you reside, as we do, in the Southern Hemisphere then Christmas is a mid-summer affair and with temperatures often soaring it’s great to have a few things in your repertoire, like our Pesto, Cherry Tomato and Bocconcini Bites which don’t require any cooking.
They are the ideal canape for this time of year: red and green for Christmas, easy to prepare and the perfect match for a glass of bubbly or a beer.
The pesto will keep in the fridge for days so make it in advance and when you’re ready, grab a handful of attractive skewers, stab the tomatoes, bocconcini, and basil leaves, add a dab of pesto and you’re done.
Cool as a cucumber at Christmas.
Rosie
PESTO, CHERRY TOMATO AND BOCCONCINI BITES
Makes 30
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
30 perfect basil leaves
15 cherry bocconcini (about 180gm), halved
Cocktail skewers
Sea salt flakes, to taste
Pesto
60 gm Parmigiano Reggiano, cubed
1 bunch basil, leaves picked (1 cup tightly packed leaves)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
45 gm pinenuts
125 ml best quality extra virgin olive oil
A good pinch salt, or to taste
For the pesto, process the Parmigiano Reggiano in a food processor until fine.
Add the basil, garlic and pinenuts and process for a few seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Add salt and taste for seasoning.
Transfer to a sterilised jar, drizzle the top with a thin layer of olive oil to arrest oxidisation, cover with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
To Assemble
Take one half of a cherry tomato and place a basil leaf on top. Place a dab of pesto on top of the basil leaf. Skewer a cherry bocconcini half with a cocktail skewer and place on top of the pesto, gently pressing the skewer all the way through the basil leaf, pesto and tomato. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste.
Although pesto will go brown with oxidisation if left in contact with the air for too long, these bites can be prepared up to 45 minutes beforehand with no ill effects.