Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish

College football season is here.  Time for wings, nachos, hot dogs, and men sitting on the couch for hours. I get cheering for your alma mater, but why are men so passionate about games featuring teams with which they have no connection? I am currently watching Arizona vs. Oregon. Brent and I don't have any friends or family who have attended either school, but we've got to watch the game. Football Saturday's are perfect for playing in the kitchen. This recipe is a fresh and creative take on hot dogs, and a great idea for a football viewing party. Bobby Flay caught my attention with his genius idea of putting caprese salad on a sausage. Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish is spicy, yet refreshing. Although this meal is a little hard to eat, it is worth the mess.

Ingredients:
6 Hot Italian Sausages
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bread
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 large hot dog rolls
2 cloves garlic, halved

Directions:
Heat the grill for high direct grilling. Grill the sausages until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the sausages to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before removing to a plate.

Toss the tomatoes with the cheese, basil, parsley, capers, onions, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Slice the bread open and put on the grill, cut-side down, and grill until lightly golden brown. Remove and rub the surface with the garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Put a whole sausage on each roll and top with the caprese relish.