Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Charentais melon amid soft folds of mildly herbal prosciutto; milky mozzarella and warm tomatoes; gooseberries and elderflower; broad beans, young and sweet, with smoky ham; poached salmon and crisp, cold cucumber.
At its best, summer cooking has very little to do with recipes and the careful layering of ingredients and more to do with natural pairings - the pure magic that results from ingredients that are just meant to be together.
Marinated morzarella
The choice of herbs here is up to you. Basil is a given, but the rest depends on what you like. I have used oregano and very young, tender thyme leaves. Mint and coriander have been a refreshing alternative.
The aniseed herbs such as chervil, fennel and tarragon need to be softened with an equal amount of flat-leaf parsley. Serves three as a salad.
Ingredients
A ball of buffalo mozzarella
6 cherry or small tomatoes
3 medium-sized, lusciously ripe tomatoes
For the marinade:
6 tbsp olive oil
2 small hot red chillies
a handful of basil leaves
3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Make the marinade. Put the olive oil into a mixing bowl. Cut the chillies in half, remove their seeds with the point of a knife and discard, then chop the flesh finely. Add to the oil together with the torn basil leaves and chopped herbs. Season lightly with coarse black pepper and add vinegar to taste.
Break the mozzarella into large pieces (I find the rough texture more appealing than smooth slices).
Add the cheese to the marinade and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes in half; cut each of the larger tomatoes into six. Just before serving, stir the tomatoes into the cheese and herbs. Serve with roughly torn bread.
