By the end of the week, a simple meal might be all that you need, and luckily, after a long day on the road, not quite enough sleep, that is all you can manage to serve.
We tend to save the summer for fresh mozzarella, garden tomatoes, and crisp basil salad, but on a day when breakfast became a late lunch – dinner can be a little bit too early and too much to eat.
Here is our quick salad tonight:
- 30 (2 large spoons full) of Mini fresh buffalo mozzarella balls (packaged in water to preserve freshness)
- 30 Sweet, organic grape tomatoes / sliced in half
- Chopped basil leaves, 3 or 4 (or you can cheat with basil/olive oil paste – also found in the produce aisle)
- A dash or mini-teaspoon of course sea salt (your choice, to taste)
- 3-5 twists of the black pepper mill, set to grind coursely
- 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
If you want to be “fancy” in your presentation, after you stir gently, drizzle the mixed salad with reduced balsamic vinegar and serve immediately – with or without thinly sliced toasted Italian baguette and cured olives.)
Add a crisp chilled glass of white wine or deep, room temp Chianti and enjoy. (21 and older unless you are in a country that sees things differently.)
Keeping it light, with a simple meal is good for the body, it is good for the family to be able to reduce prep and clean up time, too. It is amazing to able to enjoy the wide variety of produce available year-round now due to the luxury of local growers and national suppliers, meeting our in-demand taste profiles for fresh ingredients even in January.
~ Dawn aka Hat Girl