If you’ve read MBA for any length of time, you know that I’m kind of a self-proclaimed control freak – especially around the holidays. I go all out in the areas of gift wrapping and home decor and certainly like to have a big part in holiday meals with our family.
Being 34 weeks pregnant has compelled me to toss my overly passionate ways out the window. Our gifts are wrapped a little simpler, our door had a fall wreath hanging on it until yesterday, and the dinner – ha, I’m bringing the salad and a Honey Baked Ham (from the company, not my kitchen.. womp womp).
Back in November, we received an AeroGarden ULTRA and we were pretty darn excited about it. I don’t know about your grocery stores, but it’s proven difficult for us to find quality fresh herbs at this time of year. Everything seems bruised, dry, and definitely less than appetizing.
Wanting to get our herbs growing as quickly as possible, Eric assembled our AeroGarden the night it arrived. I gladly handed the task over to him because, quite frankly, I lack the patience for assembling pretty much anything. Surprisingly enough, assembling the AeroGarden was a breeze and we were on are way to growing fresh herbs within less than 30 minutes thanks to the Quick Plant step-by-step process.
The AeroGarden Ultra is wicked smart. And the MyGarden Control Panel automatically runs all growing functions – you can make it simple with the push of a button or advanced with 100 percent customizable options. It gives us tips and even lets us know when it’s time to feed our herbs. Pretty genius, especially for someone that kills mint outdoors.
We planted 3 types of basil, mint, oregano, thyme and savory. We were shocked as to how quickly our little basil plants sprouted and now, 38 days later, they’re healthy, strong, and full of fragrant basil leaves. In fact, all of our plants are doing well, and we’re absolutely loving the fact that we can snip fresh herbs for dinner, right in our kitchen.
Now, let’s talk salad. I’ve been obsessed with arugula lately, so I thought I’d make a festive Tomato and Mozzarella Salad topped with a Basil Vinaigrette. Simple, incredibly delicious and a fresh edition to any holiday spread. The vinaigrette is bursting with basil flavor which pairs perfectly with the tomato and mini mozzarella.

For more Fresh Holiday Entertaining Recipes, visit KitchenPlay.
AeroGrow is running ‘12 Days of Deals’ for the holidays with discounts and special bundles for the season. Plus, get up to 20% on everything storewide when using promo code ‘Holiday20’ in the shopping cart at checkout. For More information, please visit AeroGarden on Facebook and Twitter.
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
For the Salad
5 ounce container baby arugula
1 cup grape tomatoes, slice in half
1 cup baby mozzarella balls, drained
black pepper to taste
For the Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
8-10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place arugula, tomatoes and baby mozzarella balls in a large salad bowl. Prepare dressing.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse machine until dressing is smooth and ingredients are fully incorporated.
3. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to coat. If desired, garnish with chiffonade of basil and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes:
Remaining dressing will store within refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by AeroGarden. All opinions expressed about the AeroGarden Ultra are my own.
pooja
Sunday 31st of January 2016
Wow nice recipe. Will definitely try out .
Aurica
Friday 21st of February 2014
that's what i call a freah, natural and healthy salad recipe, it look's so energetic and full of proteins, delicious and tasty one :)
Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net
Thursday 26th of December 2013
I'm preparing this today as a healthy intermission between the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Jamie
Friday 27th of December 2013
Jeff-
Sounds like a great idea…need a tiny break from all the sweets! Happy new year to you!
-Jamie
Emily
Monday 16th of December 2013
Jamie, this salad looks fabulous! I really need to check out this AeroGrow, because I am missing my fresh herbs now that my backyard is under a foot of snow. This salad looks beautiful and totally fit for a Christmas dinner. And you have every right to take it easy this year!
Jamie
Monday 16th of December 2013
Emily- It's been so nice to have fresh herbs at our fingertips and the growing process is pretty darn cool as well! Thanks for stopping by! -Jamie
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies
Monday 16th of December 2013
I'm kind of in love with this AeroGrow idea. And I'm all about that basil vinaigrette too! You'll have to forgive me for subbing some butter lettuce and baby spinach instead of arugula though. It made me SO sick while pregnant that I can't stand the site of the stuff now.
Jamie
Monday 16th of December 2013
Amber- That's kind of funny! I actually crave arugula and romaine - baby spinach? Not so much. Thanks for stopping by! -Jamie