Perks Up balsamic tomato summer ...

Tomatoes, sweet onions and cucumbers in a balsamic vinaigrette house shine for a refreshing salad. You can serve green if you want, but it is also very tasty. Plan ahead to marinate the vegetables for a few hours before serving. They go fast hand.

Preparation time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Marinade time :: 02:00

Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• For the vinaigrette:
• A quarter cup of white balsamic vinegar
• Make cup sweet white wine (such as Chardonnay)
• Make a cup of water
• A quarter cup of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and forced through a press release
• Pinch of sugar, optional
• 8.1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ----------
• For the salad:
• 3 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia) cut into 4.1 inch thick slices
• 1 cucumber, cut into 4.1 inch thick slices
• 6 fresh basil leaves, in 8.1-inch Cut (chiffonade)
• E Parmesan for garnish, optional

Preparation:

Make the dressing:
Whisk together white balsamic vinegar, white wine, water, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, sugar spice (if using), salt and pepper and mix well.

Make the salad:
Place the tomatoes, sweet onion, cucumber and basil in a resealable bag. Cover with dressing. Squeeze air from bag and seal. Toss to coat. In the refrigerator at least two hours, turning occasionally to keep vegetables covered.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese just before serving, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Note:
White balsamic vinegar and white wine are used here, does not discolor onions and cucumbers. If the color is not of interest for you, you can replace the traditional balsamic vinegar and red sweet red wine (such as Lambrusco).