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.