Amalfi baked lemons for a starter

We have a beautiful old lemon tree in our back yard which has produced an abundance of lemons this season. I really love a lemon flavour in everything and it is so nice to walk out the back door and pick a handful of the beautiful little yellow fruit. We do not seem to produce huge ones! 

These are especially nice as a starter and great for vegetarians - just leave out the anchovies.  

I found the recipe in Jamie Oliver's Italy book, in fact I have made lots of the recipes in this great cookery book, I'm a bit of a fan of his style of cooking.

I recently made them as a starter for a lunch, but they are perfect for dinner parties or those 'come and have a few drinks moments', you can prepare them well beforehand and they only take 10 -15 minutes to cook and serve.

Recipe

Lemons

1 or 2 balls of mozzarella - depending on how many you decide to make - sliced into thick 1/4 inches pieces.

Fresh basil leaves

Anchovy fillets

Ripe cherry tomatoes or just use chunks of large tomatoes

salt and freshly ground pepper

chilli flakes - optional

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Carefully remove the ends of the lemons and discard them - you do this to help keep the lemons upright on the dish. Using a small knife cut the lemons in half horizontally and then scoop out the lemon flesh - leaving hollows of lemon. (I used a teaspoon to do this as it seemed easier - over a bowl so I could catch the lemon juice to be frozen for another recipe).

Line a meat dish or tray with baking paper. With each lemon half push a piece of cheese into the hollow, lay a basil leaf on top, then an anchovy & chilli if using them, then the tomato, and top with another piece of mozzarella. Add a pinch of salt and pepper is desired and place on tray. (The subtle flavours of the lemon come through beautifully when cooked). Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes then serve with hot grilled crostini. I popped the French bread in the oven while they were cooking which meant it was all ready at the same time. I put the whole dish on the table - rustic is our style and they are so cute to look at! 

Scoop out melted goodness and eat with the toast. 

Gorgeous - posh cheese on toast!