First food from my garden! Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella-Bacon Salad!

Well, this might be an overly optimistic title (most of these basil leaves were ready to eat when I planted them) but it still makes me super happy to just pop out on the porch and get some basil when I want to cook with it!

I made a YUMMY salad for lunch this week.  

• Bacon Lardons - basically really crispy bacon bits that take the place of croutons (get it, crout-ons...lard-ons)  These are from NomNomPaleo's cookbook and something I add to a lot of salads.  I added them to my deviled eggs earlier this week!
• Pearl Tomatoes on the vine (from Trader Joes) - quartered.  I cut up about 8 or 10 tomatoes.
• A small amount of Trader Joes Mozzarella - chopped into chunks.  I probably used about 1/5th of the log of mozzarella.
• BASIL!  I tore up about 8 leaves for this.  I like to tear instead of cutting since I think it bruises the leaf more and releases more scent and flavor.
• Aged Balsamic Vinegar  - this is from Aldis and is part of their private label collection.  They don't carry it all the time but it comes in a beautiful little square bottle.   

Add it all to a bowl with a lid and shake.  For best results (if you can!) let it sit in the fridge together so the flavors all blend.  I made this in the morning before I left for school and by lunch time (let's be real, I couldn't wait so I ate it mid-morning) but it was perfect! 

This tastes like summer to me!  I would eat this every day if I could!   So fresh and so yummy!