For anyone who hasn't had this delightful summer salad, give it a try if you want a refreshing side dish without turning on the stove. It's a super way to showcase your garden fresh tomatoes, as the flavors are subtle and will really be appreciated.
On a platter layer:
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella
2 lg. tomatoes
Slice them thin and arrange on plate as shown. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and fresh (or dried) Basil. Add a few drops of Balsamic vinegar if you like.
You're done, and you didn't even have to cook anything!
And if you really want the flavor to shine, try to find Buffalo mozzarella. That was what Jeff had on his mission to Italy. When we visited Italy, we visited one of his members, who had purchased us two big balls of buff mozz and some fresh tomatoes. The member had to leave somewhere and we were starving. We sliced the tomatoes and buff mozz and sprinkled them with salt/pepper. We each ate a HUGE cheese ball and several tomatoes (nothing was left when he returned)--it was probably one of my favorite meals!
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered about that- aren't Buffalo native to the US? So how are Italians making cheese from them?
ReplyDeleteI know I should know this, but does fresh mozzarella come in tubes? How did you get the slices to be circles?
ReplyDeleteHere's what my fancy Italian cookbook says about mozzarella and buffalo mozzarella:
ReplyDelete"The herds of water buffalo raised in the area between Caserta and Salerno produce one of Italy's greatest culinary treasures, mozzarella di bufala. Mozzarella can also be made from cow's milk, but because buffalo's milk has two to three times the butterfat of cow's milk, buffalo mozzarella is exquisitely rich and creamy with a meltingly soft texture.
The cheese is made by curdling the milk, softening the curds in hot water, and kneading them until they are elastic. The cheese maker lops off rounds of the kneaded curd (the Italian word for this action, mozzare, gives the cheese its name), which become individual balls or braids of cheese. Mozzarella di bufala is the melting cheese of choice for pizza and baked pasta and is enjoyed as a table cheese."
Whew! It was informative, so I thought I'd share! :)
Liz- if you get it at Costco, which I do, it comes in two large sausage shapes that you can slice. But I have seen it sold in other stores as little round balls floating in water, or in a package as a roundish lump. If you have smaller pieces you can dice your tomatoes and slice the cheese into the same size of cubes, then toss it all together in a bowl, or use cherry tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteBecki- thanks for the info! I had no idea they had water buffalo over there!
We made this tonight and LOVED it. Thanks!
ReplyDelete