Herbs De Provence Tomato Mozzarella Appetizer

Mama’s Herbs De Provence Mozzarella Appetizer, is easy to make, appetizing to look at and we can’t forget delicious! When I need an appetizer to bring to a party or want to have something out for guests to munch on before dinner parties, this is my go to appetizer. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and less than 15 minutes before it is eaten by your guests! It only takes four ingredients which includes, fresh mozzarella, roma or caprise tomatoes, Herbs De Provence, and extra virgin olive oil. I often will set out gluten free crackers to eat with it. And confession time…this is my oldest daughters favorite snack. When I have fresh mozzarella in the fridge, I will come into the kitchen and find her making this as just a quick afternoon snack, just for her.

If you are new to Herbs De Provence, it is a mixture of dried herbs that were typical of Provence, France, which include marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and in many american versions lavendar, and sometimes other herbs are added, depending on who makes it. You can buy it by the jar at the grocery store, or by the ounce at health food stores. Herbs De Provence is great on this appetizer, of course, but also is great rubbed on a whole chicken before baking, mixed in with Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend flour with a tsp. salt for coating chicken, adds flavor to grilled fish, or added to vegetable or chicken soup.

For this appetizer, to have optimum flavor it is best to use fresh mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella is lighter, fresher, has more moisture, and has a more delicate flavor. It melts in your mouth when you eat it, definitely a gourmet treat! Most often fresh mozzarella is packaged in liquid brine. Most grocery stores sell fresh mozzarella, but it is not found in the dairy section. It is usually in the deli department, either over the counter, or in their specialty foods section that has other gourmet cheeses.

You can also use fresh mozzarella sliced up on gourmet pizza, like a Margarita Style Pizza. Slice into thin slices versus shredding and just place over the sauce in several places, add fresh basil and sliced tomatoes and you have a delicious gourmet Margarita Pizza. You could even sprinkle over the top of the cheese and tomatoes Herbs De Provence instead of fresh basil and you would have an equally delicious pizza. Or make a Caprise Salad by layering a slice of fresh tomato, then a slice of fresh mozzarella, and a piece of fresh basil, offsetting them and layering in a circle around the a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and you have another delicious appetizer.

Herbs De Provence Tomato Mozzarella Appetizer

Ingredients

6-8 Roma Tomatos or Caprise Tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thickness
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin slices
2-3 Tbsp Herbs De Provence
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste

Serve with Gluten Free Crackers, if desired.

Directions

Place a layer of tomato slices onto a serving plate or platter. Lightly, sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt. (You can make this salt free if you desire, its really up to your taste. A little salt goes a long way, so don’t over salt.) Place thin slices of fresh mozzarella about the size of the tomato slice on top of the tomato. Sprinkle generously over the top of the tomatoes and cheese the Herbs De Provence. Drizzle over the tops of tomato and cheese with extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover each piece lightly. To help evenly distribute the olive oil, you can take a silicone pastry brush and just lightly spread the olive oil over each tomato cheese slice, being sure to make sure the herbs get coated too.

Place on a separate plate or bowl your favorite gluten free crackers. Gluten Free Mama’s Favorite crackers to use are the Crunchmaster Rice Crackers or the Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers. They are just the perfect size for each tomato slice to fit perfectly on them.

Enjoy!

Mama Recommends:  Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers, Crunchmaster Rice Crackers, Herbs De Provence