Caramelized Peach Caprese Panini

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty
Submitted by Betty Liu of the South End. She gets her ingredients from the SOWA market and Foodies, as well her own garden and oven (homemade challah!). This sandwich was inspired by her college architecture studies in Florence, Italy. 

Makes 4 sandwiches

1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced into to 8 slices
Brown sugar
½ tablespoon butter
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
4¼ inch slices fresh mozzarella
Olive oil
8 thin slices of prosciutto
A handful of basil, roughly chopped
8 slices challah, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss cherry tomatoes with some olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Set aside.

To caramelize the peach, sprinkle brown sugar on both sides of peach slices. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter. Gently lay peach slices in skillet. Cook, allowing time for juices to flow and brown sugar to caramelize, about 2–3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

To assemble, lay two challah slices side by side. Place one slice of prosciutto on each slice. Layer peach, mozzarella and then another peach slice on one challah slice. Sprinkle basil on top. Place 3–4 cherry tomato slices on top. Close by placing second challah slice over the cherry tomatoes. Do this for each sandwich.

Preheat your panino press or other countertop grill. Brush a layer of olive oil on both sides of the challah. Gently place onto grill and close the lid (or press). Cook until bread is browned and grill marks show, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.