- TOMATO BASIL AND MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH RED ONION

This is a simple recipe that you can whip up pretty quickly, and as long as you use quality ingredients, it tastes just as good [or even better] than any tomato, basil, mozzarella salad you'd find in a restaurant.

INGREDIENTS

1 large tomato (you can choose whatever kind you like. We used a beefsteak tomato because they're big and not too sweet)
1 small ball of fresh mozzarella
1 small red onion
a few basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
however many drops you'd like of balsamic reduction (recipe follows)

- b a l s a m i c   r e d u c t i o n
By reducing balsamic vinegar into a thick sauce, it loses some of its vinegary bite and gains a delicate sweetness. It looks impressive and may seem complicated, but it couldn't be more simple. It just takes some time to make.

Just take 1 cup of regular balsamic vinegar and place it in a pot on low heat. Let it cook on low until you see a light simmer. Leave it there cooking on low until the vinegar reduces to a syrupy consistency. This should take about a half hour, but keep checking it. Make sure you don't accidentally end up burning it, because your vinegar will turn into thick molten lava, there will be smoke everywhere and your pot will be ruined.

Once your balsamic reduction is the right consistency, take it off the heat and let it cool completely. It will thicken up a little more after it's done cooling too. Store it at room temperature until you're ready to use it.

ASSEMBLY

First cut your onion into paper thin rings, as thin as you can make them. Just for aesthetic purposes we chose to pick out the smallest rings in the center of each slice, but you can do whatever you want.

Scatter your thin raw onion rings all around your plate, and then add a few drops of olive oil and balsamic reduction.

Slice your tomato and mozzarella cheese into thick slices.
Start with a slice of tomato, then add one or two basil leaves.
Then add a slice of mozzarella and add a good teaspoon of balsamic glaze right in the middle of it.
Then add a tomato slice, and repeat the process until your tomato, basil, mozzarella tower is as tall as you like.
Ontop of the last slice of mozzarella place a small basil leaf and a few drops of balsamic reduciton.

We hope you enjoy!

love,

- t h e   3   o f   u s