Ingredients

People around the world never seem to tire of this classic combination of summer ingredients. When the perfect tomatoes are available (July through mid-October), be sure to enjoy this salad often. Here is Slates’ version:

2 lbs Heirloom tomatoes, such as Brandywine, Green Tigers, Yellow Pear, etc.
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (two 4-ounce balls)
About 12 basil leaves
Basil oil (recipe follows)
Balsamic vinegar reduction (recipe follows)
Maldon salt & freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry red wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Syrah
1 T brown sugar
Basil Oil
1 large bunch fresh basil
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. salt

Directions

Rinse tomatoes, cut out cores and cracks. Slice larger tomatoes into 3/8” thick slices. Cut minis in half and quarter the mid-sized ones.
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Cut each mozzarella ball into six rounds.

Arrange tomatoes & cheese artfully on four salad plates. Stack the more uniform slices alternately with the cheese slices. Tuck in two or three large basil leaves. Be creative with all the colors and shapes. No matter how you plate this salad, it’s a winner!

Drizzle each salad with the vinegar reduction & basil oil (1 to 2 T each), and just before serving sprinkle with a nice salt. I especially like Maldon salt. The flakes are flat and stay crunchy for awhile. A few turns of black pepper, and you have it. One of the world’s greatest salads

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry red wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Syrah
1 T brown sugar

Heat the ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until syrupy, but don’t allow it to caramelize or it will turn bitter. Mixture should yield about ¼ cup. A little of this delicious sauce goes a long way, and it keeps indefinitely without refrigerating.

Basil Oil
1 large bunch fresh basil
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. salt
In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring four cups lightly salted water to boil. Have another bowl filled with ice water close by.

Remove basil leaves and discard stems. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for 10 seconds. Remove basil with a slotted spoon and plunge it into the ice bath. Drain basil in a strainer and press out excess water. Roll basil up in paper towels and squeeze to dry the leaves thoroughly. Repeat with more paper towels so that leaves are very dry.

Add the basil and olive oil to the bowl of a blender and blend for one full minute on high speed. Strain the oil through a strainer with three layers of cheese cloth. The oil should be very clear and bright green.

Recipe Courtesy: Chef Roy Harland, Slates Restaurant