Roman Summer Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved
1/2 cup black olives, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb vine ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)
1/2 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts (optional)

Preparation

Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.
To serve, slice the tomatoes into 1/4\" thick rounds and place, slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Place artichoke hearts, if using, over top of tomatoes.
Spoon the olive and parsley mixture over the tomatoes.
Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and serve. Enjoy!