I am a long-time fan of balsamic vinegar and so I was excited to try a sample size bottle of the “Full Bodied Authentic Modena Aged Balsamic” offered by The Artisanal Kitchen. It arrived in a super cute little bottle (I’ve also been a sucker for mini-sized versions of things!) along with its companion product, “Extra Virgin Three Olives Olive Oil,” another indispensable part of my kitchen supplies. I decided to make my favorite salad dressing using both samples. I do not follow a specific recipe for the dressing, just make it to taste using:

Ample quantities of balsamic vinegar

Roughly equal portion of olive oil

Splash of lemon juice

Dashes of garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper

I then serve myself a generous portion over organic baby mixed greens, home grown sprouts (thanks, Mom!), and some french fried onions (bad!). Sometimes I add some pieces of steak to make it a full meal 🙂

Not all vinegars are created equal, so I was pleased to discover The Artisanal Kitchen Balsamic vinegar was light and fruity in taste. While still possessing the sharp tang that makes a balsamic vinegar SO tasty, the flavor of this one was lighter and sweeter in taste than many others and was delicious. The Three Olives olive oil was also high quality and light in flavor and feel. I heartily enjoyed my salad and will be making more dressing using these products soon.

I also received the following chicken recipe to share:

BBQ chicken topped with caramelized red onions made with The Artisanal Kitchen Aceto Balsamico di Modena

Ingredients:

4 medium-size chicken breasts
4 tablespoons Aceto Balsamico di Modena (purple label) by The Artisanal Kitchen
2 red onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons of Three Olives Olive Oil by The Artisanal Kitchen
Pinch French Fleur de Sel.
Garnish: parsley

Instructions:

Put the olive oil and salt in a medium-size frying pan and heat on low. When oil is heated, add sliced red onion to the pan and cook over a low flame for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized. Next, add The Artisanal Kitchen Balsamico di Modena to the onions and continue to cook on a very low flame, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a dark brown color. Scrape the balsamic residue off the bottom of the pan, mix with the onions and cook for a few more minutes to allow the remaining balsamic to be absorbed into the onion mixture.
Cook chicken breast on the barbeque and, once done, lightly salt and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Place a few tablespoons of onion mixture on each chicken breast, garnish with a parsley leaf and serve.

—

Disclosure: I received complimentary samples of these products for review purposes.