Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

I'm sitting in DFW for the next four hours waiting for my flight to Madrid.  I know, I know.....I just got home.  For hubs and I,  May is travel month.  We just got back from Cabo with the children and now we're heading to Madrid with some friends for a few days then hopping on The World and cruising to Bordeaux to guzzle some wine for several days.  Then June 1, I'll be checking into Betty Ford!

Since all you'll see here for the next couple of weeks are pictures of old buildings, centuries-old grape vines, and drunk people, I felt like I should post a recipe.  And I'm gonna keep it simple...Tomato and Mozzarella Salad.  It is without a doubt hubs favorite thing on earth.  He became addicted when we lived in Germany and were within walking distance of an incredible Italian restaurant.  And since I ended up in tears every time I went to the grocery store because my German SUCKED, we ate at this restaurant A LOT!!!

When we returned to the States, I made it my mission to perfect tomatoes and mozz.  And in my world, I have.  This shows up on our dinner table in some form at least once a week.  Probably more in the summer when I can get fresh, garden tomatoes.  We eat this as a salad, tossed into pasta, on top of crostini....you name it.  When I'm pooped or just too lazy to accomplish anything brilliant in the kitchen, this is what I make.  It's also been known to make an appearance when fancy company shows up for dinner and it's always devoured.

The only trouble is, that it's sooooo hard to make!  NOT.   Obviously this is best in the summer, when all of the ingredients are fresh, but I find grape tomatoes in the winter are a great substitute.  I think they're the sweetest.  Simply combine tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese (I prefer the bocconcini, or small balls), fresh julienned basil.  Drizzle with olive oil to coat and a high quality balsamic vinegar  (hubs likes a lot of balsamic!).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and some hot chili flakes if you're feeling frisky!  Toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors can get to know each other.  Then do with it as you will!  Enjoy

It will be back to normal here in a few weeks, but in the meantime I'll be taking you along on my trip!