Fresh mozzarella--what to do with it?

Cafe Society
1

I was talking about food with another Doper and the conversation turned to fresh mozzarella, which I had never had. Upon his suggestion, I bought some. However, I don’t know what to do with it besides just cutting off a chunk and eating it. I am very tempted to do just this, as I am fond of mozzarella cheese. What else can I do with it? I’ve seen a fancy tomato and mozzarella salad, but I can’t get good tomatoes right now. It would be a hit this summer with my family’s home-grown tomatoes, though.

Or should I just bow to the inevitable and eat this cheese alone?

2

Pizza Margherita.

Or: Toss with olive oil and button mushrooms with a bit of oregano.

3

If you can get some balsamic syrup, that goes great on fresh mozz. Or some very nice crusty bread, sliced, put on some cheese and under the broiler. Nonnomnomnom. The simpler, the better.

4

Insalata Caprese is one of my favorite ways of enjoying a good, fresh mozzarella. It may be difficult to find good tomatoes for it this time of year, unfortunately, and the simplicity of this dish really does demand good tomatoes.

5

You can boil regular balsamic vinegar down to a syrup too. It’ll take a while, but you can do it.

6

In a practical sense, there is this twilight fresh Mozzarella used in tosssing a fresh hot pasta, in many configurations. The cold, fresh, mozzarella cubes are added at the last minute to the toss of many fresh made pastas and sauce en una Cucina Italia. Deliciioso slightly gooey chunks to finish your pasta.

7

Marinated mozzarella: make a sort of vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar, lots of garlic, herbs of your choice, sun-dried tomatoes if you have them, salt and pepper. Slice the mozzarella, let it marinate in the dressing for a few hours. Eat on toasted baguette slices. Yum! Also good with other marinated vegetables (roasted peppers, artichokes, that kind of thing).

8

Good in lots of salads - I like it with a nicoise salad, or a caprese
Make a panino - good bread spread with pesto, fresh tomato and sliced mozzarella
Pizza
Wrapped with prosciutto
With fresh figs
Stirred in at the last minute to pasta
Stuffed into peppers or aubergine with savory rice and baked
In fresh zucchini flowers
Wizzed in a blender with fresh pea soup
Placed in the centre of arancini balls
Topping burgers

9

This is what I was going to suggest, and a double second on good tomatoes to go with it.

Mmmmm good!

10

Sorry I (of all users) am so late to this thread.:wink:

Several excellent suggestions have already been made, fresh mozz is best with good, homegrown, fresh off the vine tomatoes, basil and or arugula, preferably homegrown, and excellent olive oil, with a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

I like balsamic vinegar okay, but I am not as crazy about it as some are. It can be overpowering.

One thing I like to do is create my own vinegar with opal basil, this has a nice flavor on the fresh mozz.

I also enjoy devilsknew’s suggestion of adding fresh mozz cubes to piping hot pasta.

My other favorite way to enjoy it with a dollop of homemade pesto, in a salad of fresh greens.

11

I like it on lightly toasted garlic bread, with a slice of tomato (if you can find good ones) and a sprig of basil.

12

All the suggestions sound really good. Thanks!