Ingredients:

2 heads of butter leaf lettuce – individual leaves

18 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 leaves of fresh basil – chiffonade (cut into thin strips)

½ cup creamy chevre (goat cheese)

½ cup balsamic vinegar reduced to half*

½ cup cold pressed canola oil

Maldon sea salt for sprinkling

Method:

• Place lettuce on a serving platter then add tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle evenly with chevre. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and canola oil. Garnish with a tiny bit of Maldon sea salt.
• Serve with grilled halibut or pork tenderloin, and roast potato for a simple, healthy but elegant patio dinner.

Serves: 6

*Bring vinegar to a boil. Simmer, watching carefully and lowering the heat if necessary, until it is a little thinner than you want it – it will keep reducing when you take it off the heat. It should only take 2-4 minutes.

By Darren Nixon, chef and owner of Divine restaurant, Okotoks