Grilled Caprese Skewers

Appetizer

 This recipe doesn’t use the typical mozzarella cheese normally found in Caprese recipes. It uses Juustoleipa or halloumi cheese (bread cheese) because of its high melting point. Due to its non-melty properties, it works great for grilling. If you tried this recipe with mozzarella prepare for a melty mess.

Ingredients

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic sliced into thin pieces
• 8 ounces good quality french bread about 5 1-inch slices
• 12 ounces bread cheese Juustoleipa or halloumi cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 24 basil leaves
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. If using wooden skewers, place in a bowl or shallow plate filled with 1 inch of water and soak for 20 minutes. If using metal skewers, set aside.
2. Bring balsamic vinegar to medium heat in a small saucepan and cook for 20 minutes or until reduced by half. The vinegar is just right when it coats the back of a spoon. Cover with a lid and keep warm.
3. In another small saucepan, add the extra virgin olive oil and the garlic cloves and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and brush both sides of the bread slices with the garlic infused oil. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
4. Thread the skewers starting with a cube of bread, then cheese, then tomato and a basil leaf and repeat another time, ending with a cube of bread. Repeat with the rest of the skewers.
5. Give each skewer another generous dab of the olive oil and then a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Bring grill to high heat. Place skewers on grill rack and cook for 4 minutes or so, turning skewers every 30 seconds to 1 minute as the tomatoes begin to blister and the bread starts to toast and all sides are cooked evenly.
7. Drizzle with reduced balsamic and serve.