Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella & Tomato

We have some fresh buffalo mozzarella from Dorset. It’s very special so we have fresh knobbly tomatoes from Borough Market. It’s nice to cook food with two Zeds in its name.

250g Buffalo Mozzarella

2 ripe tomatoes

1/2tsp fennel seeds

Grated zest of a lemon

15 basil leaves, shredded

2tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus lots more for drizzling

2tsp chopped oregano

2tsp rapeseed oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ tsp flaky sea salt

Black pepper

Sourdough bread for toast

This is so light and fresh. I think sweet yellow tomatoes would go well with this, though the boy always thinks they can’t quite be ripe. If you don’t have rapeseed oil, use more olive oil – rapeseed is overpriced anyway.

Make the marinade – which is all the ingredients except the mozzarella and tomatoes. Put Lucia Di Lammermoor on the CD player – especially if you have Maria Callas’ live version with the Berlin Philharmonic. The kitchen should be an exhilarating place.

Dry roast the fennel seeds in a frying pan and then get the boy to bash them in a pestle and mortar. Admire his muscles.

Tip into a bowl and add the rest of the marinade. Tear the Mozzarella and coat it with the marinade and leave it to do its work for 40 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and serve on the toast with the mozzarella and lots more olive oil drizzled over. The dish promises Summer.