At the Restaurant
(Recipe from page 14)

Chef Gene Moana of Lucca Restaurant in Sacramento

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
5 slices of fresh mozzarella
8 ea organic cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 hot house yellow tomato, sliced in wedges
1 cup baby arugula or rucola
1/2 oz. red wine vinegar
1 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon golden balsamic reduction (instructions below)
1 tablespoon basil infused olive oil (instructions below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash tomatoes and pat dry before cutting. The lettuces should also be washed and spun dry if possible. If you don't have a salad spinner, rinsing and drip drying will work. In a mixing bowl, toss the lettuces together with the cut tomatoes, the oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. On a medium sized plate, arrange the cheese slices in a circle leaving room in the center for the salad. Place the salad in the center of the cheese and drizzle the vinegar reduction and the basil oil over the entire salad. Serve with fresh ground black pepper.

Yield 1 salad

Golden Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
1 gallon golden balsamic Vinegar

In heavy gauge sauce pan bring vinegar to a quick boil. Turn heat down and simmer at medium heat to start reducing. Reduce vinegar by 75 to 80% slowly making sure not to burn. Balsamic vinegar has a large amount of natural sugar in it so be careful not to reduce it too much. To test the reduction chill a metal bowl with ice, when the bowl is cold, wipe it dry and place a teaspoon of reduction in the bowl. When the reduction is cold it will look just like honey. Store in a squirt bottle or plastic storage container.

Yield 1 pint

Basil Oil
5 bunches fresh basil
4 cups extra virgin olive oil

Starting with a sauce pan of boiling water, blanch basil quickly and immediately shock in an ice bath. Basil must be fresh with no brown leaves otherwise the oil will be brown. Do not over cook the basil. Cut the leaves off of the stems and chop roughly. In a blender place oil and basil and blend on low speed for 5 minutes. Switch to high speed and blend until oil is smooth. Strain oil through cheese cloth and strainer and let sit for 30 minutes. Oil should be clear and bright green. Store in squirt bottle or plastic container. Oil must be refrigerated when not in use.

Yield 4 cups