Strawberry, Snap Pea and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad with Basil

Some day I would like to learn how to make my own fresh mozzarella.  I love its soft texture and richness perfect for serving in summer salad or on a caprese salad made from home grown tomatoes.   Once you have tasted it, you will never want to go back to the flavorless rubbery bricks from the supermarket.  Someday perhaps I will master the art of making it when I have more time on my hands.  Until then I guess I will have to leave it to the experts.  When I discovered that the coop I shop at makes their own last week I was very excited and had to buy some right away!  I ended up buying 1 lb of it, some of which went into a pasta salad, and the rest of which I decided needed to be paired with some sort of sweet red fruit...no, not tomatoes.  Strawberries! 

I love the combination of the cremy cheese with the sweet and slightly tart berries.  I could eat this for dessert, but since I was making dinner I added a few savory elements as well.  I had some locally grown sugar snap peas, and fresh basil from my patio, and I thought they would go perfect with the berries and mozzarella.  I made a basil lemon vinaigrette and drizzled it over the whole lot and it was delicious!  Super simple to make, and yet so good!  The cheese has a way of melting in your mouth and the berries cut through the richness with their sweet jammyness.  The snap peas add some crunch and the basil adds a lovely herbal element.  This is the way food should taste in the summer!  I have a feeling buying this fresh mozzarella and creating new salads may become a weekly thing. If you can get your hands on some, try this salad out! 

Strawberry, Snap Pea and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad with Basil

Serves 3

2 Tbsp basil oil*

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

8 oz buffalo mozzarella, cut into medium sized cubes

8 oz strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/2 cup baby peas

8 fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together basil oil and lemon juice and set aside.  Arrange mozzarella, strawberries and snap peas on a plate in an attractive way, then sprinkle with snap peas, drizzle with oil mixture, sprinkle with basil and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Serve!

*to make basil oil, in a food processor place 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and process until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to a few weeks.