Tomato Salad with Basil and Bocconcini

I love it when the market sells boxes of fresh baby tomatoes! Personally, I dislike eating tomatoes all on it's own unless it's dressed in something or if they've been roasted. Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is believed to prevent cancer. Of course, I'd want to be healthy and have my tomatoes but I can't eat them alone unless it's drenched in fatty thousand island sauce! Well, I enjoyed this salad which definitely didn't need the unhealthy accompaniment. A salad that's colourful, delicious and oh so healthy? Win. 

Here we married a few simple ingredients like basil, balsamic vinegar and bocconcini cheese! You can definitely try this salad with different coloured tomatoes, green, orange, red, the more colour the better! 

Ingredients: 

• 400-500g of cherry tomatoes
• 6 bocconcini cheese (we used mini bocconcini)
• Basil leaves
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Sugar

Steps:

1. Cut the tomatoes into half, quarters or different shapes depending on the size.
2. Put them into a sieve and salt them to draw some of the water out. 
3. Let them sit for a while. While waiting, you can make the dressing, which is just a simple balsamic dressing. The ratio of oil to vinegar is 2 to 1. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to balance the flavours. 
4. Mix vigorously and there you have it, your dressing is done. Or you could put that all in a jar and just shake till it's done. 
5. Now drain your tomatoes and put them into a bowl. Tear the basil leaves or thinly slice them into slivers if you prefer a more subtle basil flavour. Tear the bocconcini which gives it a more rustic look. Finally, drizzle dressing on top.
6. Serve with some crutons and toss lightly.

Some toasted bread works well in soaking up the juices at the bottom of the bowl. Or it could be a vehicle to get the delicious fresh salad from the bowl to your tummy!