You say, “Watermelon and Tomato”!  I know that sounds like a odd combination but believe me it is delicious and with all the summer tomatoes available you should be trying this asap.  I only make this in the summer when tomatoes and watermelon are the freshest. 

I have use heirloom tomatoes and just regular tomatoes.  It is the prettiest when you use, orange, red, yellow and green (these are ripe green tomatoes that I have found in the past).  The combination of the tomatoes, watermelon and the buffalo moz, basil and the frozen balsamic makes for a very interesting taste.

 This is the first time I have made this that the vinegar did not freeze.  I put it in the freezer at 8:30 in the morning and by 6:30 that evening it was just kind of thick.  I have no idea why this happened.  This was a 25 year old balsamic that I got at WS so I know it’s a good one.  You mix this with a couple of tablespoons of water and it is suppose to freeze and then when you have it all arranged on a plate and ready to serve, you scrape this frozen balsamic over the salad and watch it melt all over.  This was still very good, but I’m still wondering why it didn’t freeze.  So if you have ideals, let me know.

This recipe was in a Food and Wine magazine a couple of years ago.  The first time I had this was at a friend’s house and I wasn’t sure if I would like it and I was surprised that the combination of all the ingredients was so good.  Hope you like it too. — Sherry

Tomato Watermelon Salad

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. water

Assorted tomatoes, cherry, grape, red, green, orange, yellow

Watermelon balls or chunks

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/2 c. fresh basil

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Freeze the balsamic and the water in advance.  This can be frozen up to 3 days ahead. 

Slice the tomatoes in wedges and if using cherry or grape tomatoes, just halve them.  Slice the mozzarella in small pieces.

Alternate the tomateos and sliced mozzarella, slightly overlapping.  Put the halved cherry or grape tomatoes in the center of the plate.

Sprinkle the coarsely chopped fresh basil over tomatoes and cheese.

Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle the 2 Tbs. olive oil over all.  Scatter the watermelon around all the tomatoes.

Just before serving, scrape the frozen balsamic over the salad and watch it melt.  Serve immediately and enjoy.