George Chiala Farms - George's Recipe of the Month.

George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.

After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.

Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.

For Dressing

2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup GC Farms' extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For Salad

1 bag baby spring mix lettuce
1 ounce fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
3 whole ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
12 ounces mozzarella, sliced thickly
12 thin strips of prosciutto
1/2 cup kalamata olive, pitted

For Dressing

1 - Blend the balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

For Salad

1 - Toss the spring mix, basil leaves and kalamata olives with a few tablespoons (to taste) of dressing until well combined.

2 - Add spring mix to each plate and garnish with tomato slices. Put a slice of mozzarella on top of each tomato and then drizzle with a little more dressing. Finally, add a few strips of prosciutto on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella and serve.