Summertime Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Delicious and quick tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad is a great way to use your garden's summer bounty.

Ingredients:
Two pints of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
8-ounces of Small, Fresh Mozzarella Balls
¼ Cup of Fresh Green and Purple Basil, mixed
2 tsp. of Fresh Oregano
2 tbs. chopped Chives or Scallions
1 large clove of Garlic, chopped or crushed
¼ Cup of Good-quality Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 Cup of Cold-pressed Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and halve the cherry or grape tomatoes and put into large bowl. Drain and halve the small mozzarella balls. Add to bowl.

Chop or cut with scissors the fresh basil into thin strips.

Chop the fresh oregano.

Stir together the balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, basil, oregano, chives or scallions, crushed garlic, and salt, and pour over tomatoes and mozzarella. Chill and serve.

A sprig of fresh basil can be used to decorate the salad.

Alternatives for this recipe:

• Substitute 1 tsp. of dried basil and 1 tsp. of dried oregano when fresh is not available.

• Use green basil only if no purple is available.

• If you can't get small mozzarella balls, use larger fresh mozzarella balls cut into ½-inch cubes.

• Instead of using cherry or grape tomatoes, use larger tomatoes and larger mozzarella balls. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella balls instead of halving, and arrange in a dish by alternating slices of tomato and slices of mozzarella. Whole basil leaves can be placed on top of the mozzarella slices, or they can be chopped and mixed into the dressing, as above. Drizzle dressing over the tomatoes and mozzarella.

• Slice large tomatoes and use red wine vinegar instead of the balsamic vinegar. Crumble 1 8-oz package of Feta cheese on top of the salad instead of using Mozzarella cheese.