This Dill Caprese Bruschetta makes the perfect festive appetizer for summer grilling parties. The low-acid grapeseed oil-based DILLightful Dressing by Tracy’s Gourmet® works beautifully in this Caprese-inspired appetizer. Thank you, Tracy’s Gourmet®, for sponsoring this post, and thank you all for allowing brands I love to allow me to keep delicious content coming your way!

Happy Summertime, and happy Progressive Eats Day! It’s our first Progressive Eats party of the season celebrates Summer’s Bounty, and I can’t wait to eat my way through the entire menu! Thanks to Laura from Mother Would Know for coming up with such a timely theme and for hosting our virtual progressive dinner party this month! Stick around for the rest of the delicious roundup of Summer Bounty after the recipe, friends. So much summery goodness!

Tracy’s Gourmet®

I am proud to be working with Tracy’s Gourmet®, a local North Carolina dressing brand, to bring you recipes featuring their three natural and organic dressings that go beyond the salad bowl. The oil Tracy uses in her dressings is grapeseed oil, which is light and clean and allows the flavor of the seasonings used to come shining through. For folks who might not be huge fans of olive oil, which can be assertive in flavor, Tracy’s dressings are definitely a viable option for you. I think you’ll really like this Dill Caprese Bruschetta appetizer that showcases her DILLightful Dressing.

From the Tracy’s Gourmet Website: “Tracy’s Gourmet® is a specialty food company and a member of Goodness Grows in North Carolina. Our food products use high quality ingredients from local growers that are organic and natural without added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, artificial flavors, colors or dangerous preservatives. The company is committed to making gourmet food that is convenient, flavorful and fun.”

Stay tuned every other month as I bring you fun ways to use Tracy’s Gourmet® dressings in your cooking. The three flavors are Luscious Lavender (See my mixed berry crisp for one “serving suggestion”), DILLightful, and Aloha Kick, a sharp/sweet pineapple coconut dressing that I have some exciting Plans for!

Dill Caprese Bruschetta

I have long been a fan of Caprese salad. What’s not to love? Gorgeous tomatoes at the peak of flavor, creamy, milky fresh mozzarella, peppery basil and a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Maybe a sprinkle of finishing salt and you’re done. Traditionally, there is no vinegar–balsamic or otherwise–in a Caprese salad. Since Tracy’s Gourmet® DILLightful is naturally low in vinegar, it’s a great fit for this salad. I swapped out the peppery basil for soft, sweet, warm dill. Already featured in DILLightful, I added just a bit more fresh dill, a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Then it was a simple matter to marinate halved cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a bit of red onion for some contrasting bite.

I grilled up some sliced ciabatta in my grill pan and then rubbed each piece with a garlic clove before arranging them on a platter and then pouring the tomato mixture on top. Fresh and easy. You’re going to love it!

Dill Caprese Bruschetta | Progressive Eats

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This Dill Caprese Bruschetta sings with fresh dill and gorgeous, sweet tomatoes. The dressing is based on grapeseed oil which is light and clean and lets the herbs, tomatoes, cheese and vegetables really shine.

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Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1 8 oz bottle Tracy's Gourmet DILLightful dressing*
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
• heavy pinch of kosher salt
• several grindings of fresh black pepper

To Make the Bruschetta Topping

• All the marinade
• 2 1/2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes, (I like a mix of colors. Use the ripest, freshest tomatoes you can find)
• 1 8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella, , cut into about 1/2" cubes
• 1/4 cup red onion, , small dice

For the Bruschetta

• One loaf of your favorite Italian bread, (I used ciabatta) sliced in 1/2" slices
• 1-2 cloves garlic, , peeled

To Finish

• 1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Finishing salt of your choice, (fleur de sel, sel gris, Himalayan pink salt, etc)

Instructions

For the Marinade

1. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together.

For the Bruschetta Topping

1. Place the halved tomatoes, diced mozzarella and red onion in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Pour over all the marinade and put on the lid.
3. Chill overnight, shaking the container occasionally.

For the Bruschetta

1. Arrange the sliced bread in one layer on a cookie sheet. Broil until lightly golden brown (or grill in an oiled grill pan or outside on the grill). Turn the bread slices and broil (or grill) the other side as well.
2. Rub each piece of bread with a garlic clove (you may need more than one clove to do all the bread)

To Serve

1. Arrange the bruschetta on a large, rimmed platter.
2. Pour over the tomatoes and cheese along with all (or most) of the marinade.
3. Sprinkle the platter with the fresh dill and a bit of finishing salt.
4. Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you cannot find Tracy's Gourmet, use any "dilly" vinaigrette you can find. You can also make a simple dill vinaigrette with 5 oz grapeseed or avocado oil (I think olive oil would be too assertive, but you can certainly use that too), 3 oz sherry vinegar (or your favorite vinegar--not balsamic), 2 teaspoons minced shallot, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and a lot of minced fresh dill.

 

Although best when served fresh, if your bread is sturdy enough and well-grilled, it should hold up well for at least an hour or so. We plowed through the platter quickly and with gusto, but I saved a piece out to see how well it held up after soaking in the marinade. While it did get softer, it was not soggy. These are best eaten with a knife and fork, although I ate plenty by hand and only lost a stray tomato or two. This is great cookout food!

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 644 Saturated Fat: 20g Cholesterol: 25mg Sodium: 465mg Carbohydrates: 40g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 24g Protein: 13g

Progressive Eats 

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we’re featuring Summer Bounty hosted by Laura Kumin, who blogs at Mother Would Know. Our theme features fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits associated with summer in a menu that we hope you’ll enjoy!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

Appetizers

Dill Caprese Bruschetta from Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online (you’re already here!)

Mediterranean Salsa Brushetta from Foodhunter’s Guide

Middle Eastern Zucchini Tahini Eggplant Dip from Mother Would Know

Main Courses

Bruschetta Pizza from The Redheaded Baker

Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Tomato Tart from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Desserts

Blueberry White Chocolate Tart from Stetted

Mile High Strawberry Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Pretty as a Peach Shortbread  (gluten-free) from The Heritage Cook 

Beverages

Blueberry Lavender Shrub Syrup from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Lavender Lemonade Martini from Creative Culinary

And there you have it! Wasn’t that a delicious feast? Thanks so much for joining us today. Have a lovely day.

PS: I am loving my grill pan. Mine is by Lodge–I do love cast iron. Here’s an affiliate link for you so you can go take a look at see if you might want to add one to your stable of kitchen equipment. It’s really versatile for only about $20!