Holiday Caprese Salad

Pesto
1 cup olive oil
1 cup Ocean Spray® 100% Juice Cranberry Blend
1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 ounces fresh basil, 2 leaves set aside for garnish
2 ounces sliced almonds 1/2 ounce fresh mint, 3 leaves
    set aside for garnish
Dash salt and pepper

Cranberry-Nutmeg Reduction
3 cups Ocean Spray® 100% Cranberry Juice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 large beefsteak tomato
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
Reserved basil and mint leaves, garnish

To Make Pesto:
Combine all pesto ingredients in food processor. Process on high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.

To Make Cranberry-Nutmeg Reduction:
Pour cranberry juice into medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until reduced to thin syrup consistency. Add nutmeg; stir until blended.

Slice tomato into 4 or 5 even slices; cut each slice in half. Slice cheese the same way. Stack basil and mint leaves together; roll tightly into a cylinder and thinly slice.

Spoon about 1/2 cup pesto onto each serving plate, spreading to cover. Top each with alternating slices tomato and cheese. Garnish with dried cranberries, basil and mint. Drizzle Cranberry-Nutmeg Reduction evenly over each serving.

Makes 4 servings.

2011 Ocean Spray Foodservice Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest Finalist Shawn Bucher

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Ocean Spray Cranberries.