Cherry Mozzarella Salad

Who can resist those plump juicy cherries at this time of year when they're at their peak? They're so delicious right out of the bag, with just a little wash, but take them to another level and add them to a salad with mozzarella cheese and a few other choice ingredients. I placed a layer of greens and microgreens under the cherries and mozzarella, and you can use whatever you like - arugula, spinach, baby lettuces all work well here. For the cheese, I splurged and bought a bufala mozzarella from Italy, but it was so worth it. No American-made mozzarella, even those hand made at Italian delis, can match the milkiness of the ones from Italy. You could also substitute burrata here, but I prefer the bufala mozzarella taste and texture. 

Sprinkle some pistachios or almonds on top and break out the aged balsamic for this - not the supermarket kind but the expensive bottle that comes out only for special occasions. I considered lunch for me and my husband as a special enough occasion, so I drizzled a little of the precious nectar on top.  This is a bottle I bought at the San Giacomo acetaia in Italy, but Gustiamo.com also sells this brand. For a detailed description of how the owner, Andrea Bezzecchi, makes his balsamic, click here.

You'll need to pit the cherries and break them in half. If you don't have a cherry pitter, no problem. Just place them on a flexible plastic mat, which makes clean up easy. If you don't have one of these, just use a wooden board covered with some plastic wrap to avoid staining the board. Push down firmly on each cherry using a can to split it open, then use your fingers to remove the pit

Arrange the greens on the bottom, and season with salt, pepper, a little olive oil and vinegar. Then place the mozzarella cheese and cherries on top. Sprinkle with some pistachios and a few drizzles of that prized balsamic vinegar. Mint leaves and edible flowers, like my pansies, aren't necessary, but they sure look pretty.

I ate mine in a salad bowl, but if you're so inclined, you can serve it on some toast. Have napkins handy because it can be messy to eat. 

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Cherry Mozzarella Salad

No real recipe with quantities - just ingredients that you assemble on a platter.

Salad greens - baby arugula, spinach, microgreens, whatever you prefer

salt, pepper, olive oil to season the greens

bufala mozzarella from Italy - sectioned into pieces

cherries, pitted and broken in half

pistachios or almonds

aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the cheese

mint leaves

small edible flowers like pansies (optional)

Place the greens on a platter and season with salt, pepper, olive oil (and some wine vinegar if you like). Cut the mozzarella into sections and place over the greens. Add the pitted cherries to the platter and sprinkle pistachios or almonds on top. Scatter some mint leaves and pansies here and there. Drizzle the cheese with the aged balsamic.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler On The Grill

Are you a rhubarb lover? If you've never tried it with strawberries and sugar, do yourself a favor and get some before the short season is over. The stalks of this vegetable are delicious in pies, cakes and other desserts, including this cobbler. We have been going through a couple of really early hot spells here in New Jersey, where turning on the oven was as anathema as stepping in a patch of poison ivy. So here comes the grill to the rescue. I wasn't sure it would work, but I tried it twice in the last week and I do believe dessert on the grill will be a regular summer feature around here. You can bake this in the oven if you prefer, so keep this recipe handy for cooler days too.

It starts with slicing some strawberries and rhubarb and mixing with sugar, lemon, cornstarch and a touch of cinnamon.

The cobbler topping is pretty easy too. It's traditional to use cream in the biscuit-like topping, but I opted for regular milk, and it was perfect. Don't be concerned about a few lumps. If you overmix it, it will be tough.

If you have a temperature gauge on your grill, try to get it to between 300 and 400 degrees before placing the pan on the grill. I know it's difficult to control so don't worry if it's not exact. However, if it stays too low, the cobbler part won't brown, and if it gets too hot, it might quickly dry out the liquid and burn the cobbler. Check it every 10 minutes to make sure things are going according to plan, and lower or raise the heat appropriately.

After you've placed the fruit in a cast iron skillet, and placed dollops of the biscuit dough on top, set the pan on the grill and close the lid.

I checked the pan after 15 minutes and it was cooking well, but not yet browned. After another 10 minutes, I opened the lid and it was beautifully browned and ready to remove. I also noted that the temperature had climbed to nearly 500 degrees -- any longer and it might have burned.

Remove it from the grill and let it cool for at least 20 minutes or so. Serve as is, or for a special treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you're looking for more rhubarb recipes, I've got a bunch on the blog, so just type the word "rhubarb" in the search box at top right. You'll find everything from strawberry rhubarb crisp to rhubarb relish.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler on the grill

Serves 4 people

Fruit portion

2 cups strawberries, cut in half

2 cups rhubarb, sliced about 1/4" thick

1/2 cup white sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cobbler Topping

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

3 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 cup milk (or cream if you want to be decadent but it's not necessary)

Butter a small cast iron skillet (mine measures 7 1/2 inches across the top). Cut the fruit and mix with the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and cinnamon. Place into the cast iron skillet.

For the cobbler topping, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with two forks or a pastry blender until it's a "sandy" mixture. Add the milk (or cream), stirring just enough to blend. Don't worry if it looks lumpy. It's fine. Place dollops of the topping over the fruit and place on a grill that's been heated to 400 degrees. Mine has a temperature gauge, but if yours doesn't, then just heat half the grill and place the pan on the section where you haven't lit the grill. Close the lid. Every grill is different, so check in on it after 15 minutes. Mine was started on the direct heat portion and I checked it after 15 minutes. I closed the lid and let it cook for another 10 minutes, and it was just right - browned on top and bubbling within. If yours isn't browned enough to your liking, crank up the heat and let it cook a few more minutes, checking on it every five minutes. Let it cool for 1/2 hour before cutting into it. Optional, serve with vanilla ice cream.

If you want to bake it in the oven, bake it at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.