4 simple tomato appetisers

Hosting a party? Got hungry mouths to feed? Simply feel like a snack? We’ve got just the thing: since these juicy fruits come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, tomatoes tend to go with practically every recipe you can imagine.

When looking for ideas for appetisers to serve at your next feast, tomatoes will add some much-needed colour and flavour to your trays and will delight your guests. Here are our favourite four ways to use tomatoes in your appetisers that will make them the hero of your party:

1. Mini Bruschetta recipe

   A favourite for breakfast and lunch, bruschetta also makes a great appetiser. To make them more crowd friendly, simply replace full-sized bread with thin slices from a baguette, then use a grill to toast the bread base. For the ultimate bruschetta recipe, check out our version

2. Caprese salad skewers

   There’s nothing better in the height of tomato season than a caprese salad. This simple salad of ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and olive oil celebrates the natural flavours of your tomatoes. So how do you transform it into an appetiser? Make them into the perfect mouthful, that’s how. Buy small balls of marinated mozzarella from your supermarket and slide them onto skewers with a cherry or grape tomato and a big basil leaf. You get all the deliciousness of this summer classic in one explosive bite.

3. Stuffed cherry tomatoes

   The key to a great appetiser is balancing big flavours with bite sized pieces. While stuffed tomatoes are great for a sit down dinner, they can be a bit tricky to enjoy with a drink in one hand. This is where small cherry tomatoes come in handy, as their small size makes them the perfect delivery method for your appetisers. Simply cut the top off your cherry tomato, scoop out the pulp with a melon baller and fill it with your favourite stuffing. Options include fresh ricotta, goats cheese, avocado pesto, or even some crispy bacon and lettuce for BLT bites.

4. Tomato and goats cheese pastries

   While these mini pastry bites might take a little bit longer to prepare than the rest of the options, the results are just as delicious. Cut small circles out of puff pastry and brush with melted butter or an egg wash for a golden brown finish. Press your thumb into the centre to create a small indentation. Top with cherry tomato halves and bake in a 180°C oven for roughly 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Crumble over some goats cheese and place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Before serving, drizzle over good quality balsamic vinegar and top with some small basil leaves.