Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is light, low acid and has all the summery goodness packed in. I like it over chopped cucumbers, tossed on cool noodles, or on anything that needs a burst of the heart of summer. Fresh basil and garlic make a big difference, here, so make it when you are overwhelmed with the produce. Perfect for August, when it's too hot to do anything other than salads.

Ingredients
A handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Two large cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
Fresh cracked black pepper
Dash sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions
Layer chopped ingredients into a mason jar.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything.
Pour balsamic vinegar over it all. Use more vinegar for a tangier dressing, and less for a smoother one. Cover and shake. Let ingredients sit for a few minutes, if you have time -- the vinegar will pull out the flavors.
Add olive oil, cover, and shake again.
If your container doesn't seal well, please stir instead of shaking.
I like mine chunky, but you can blend the whole thing in a food processor or with an immersion blender for a smooth, uniform texture.

The Olive Oil is here

Tuesday I had the stress test (all looks good) and was fitted with the event monitor. By the time that was done, I was wiped out, but we had dinner with friends planned, and it was wonderful, but went on way too late -- I am in no position to be seeing the other side of midnight any more. I was beyond tired when we got home, and there was a story of dropping into a ditch and jarring the bejeezus out of our necks, and that left me pretty achy and cranky to boot.

I'm supposed to wear the event monitor for a month. So far, one or more of the four leads has managed to fall off every 30-60 minutes, freaking out the monitor and causing me to DropEverything and tend to it. I haven't been this distracted and out of sleep since Vivian was 4 weeks old. This morning I picked up some paper tape to hold the sensors in place, and it's working for now. Thank Heavens!!

Today, I'm still super tired.

But the first shipment of olive oil came yesterday, and I'm tickled.
Can I just tell you that it is so goo d I might never go back? It is so super smooth and rich that I could just sit around a lick it. We had it on the night's freshly made bread with a little oregano and salt in the dipping, and it was a-MAZ-ing.

I am still tired today, but I'm in the office and getting it done.
I'm looking forward to the sauna while Little Miss swims tonight.

Adopt an olive tree

It's that time of year again when I sign up for the produce for the year. This year I'm adding in an olive oil subscription, adopting an olive tree from a grove on the the Carolina Villani Estate:

The Carolina Villani Estate is situated in San Paolo Civitate, by the area called Alto Tavoliere in the northern region of Puglia. The hilly location 182 meters above sea level combined with the mild climate makes this area ideal for olive growing. In particular, it’s known for producing Peranzana olives.

Frankly, I can't wait to receive our first shipment, and it couldn't be timed better. Wednesday night we poured the last of our three liter tin into the glass bottle of olive oil we keep next to the stove, and I told Harvey it was time to up our game when it comes to the olive oil, given that we now have such great bread and vegetables to go with it, and he agreed.

Today we are going on a date to Oliveto here in town, and I'm totally looking forward to it. But that certificate of adoption is getting framed and hung in the kitchen for certain.

Now if I could just find a source for durum wheat, I'd be golden.