Scamorza alla Griglia for a Simple Dinner

Scamorza-1-e1402685587280Cheese and tomatoes go together like, well, pizza.  But sometimes you don’t want all that bread.  Sometimes you want something satisfying, fresh, that’s hot and quick.  Insalata Caprese is great, but when I want something a bit more substantial and warm I make Scamorza Affumicata alla Griglia.  

Or grilled smoked mozzarella topped with seasoned cherry tomatoes.  It’s the easiest dinner ever.

Take a few cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and toss with good extra virgin olive oil, salt, the pepper of your choice (I love Aleppo pepper) and some oregano (I have a bunch of dried Sicilian oregano that I use by crumbling a bit into the bowl.

 

Cut some smoked mozzarella into 1/2 inch slabs.  Heat a griddle until it’s nearly smoking then lay the cheese on.  When you see the edge of the cheese starting to soften and melt use a sharp edged spatula to turn the cheese over.  Let it melt and sear on that side then slide the slices onto a plate, top with the seasoned tomatoes with all their juices and eat immediately.  Yum.

Seriously.

Evan is an active speaker on culinary subjects as well as issues of food culture and sustainability and, just to keep a balance, she has a very public love affair with Pie. She’s been called the Jerry Garcia of cooking with the freewheeling improvisation she brings to the kitchen. You can follow her exploits on her blog at http://www.evankleiman.com/