Cool Cheese for Hot Days

Many people ask what my favourite cheese is, and much as that is like asking who our favourite child is, one of the things that really influences my answer is the time of year.

We have been extremely fortunate with hot warm days this spring, and June and July are just before us. One of our favourite cheeses for warm weather is Burrata. This cheese has an outer of mozzarella but is filled with stracciatella and cream. Cut into the delicate

mozzarella exterior and it positively oozes near cream… chilled there are few things better. This cheese is very rich and needs a counterbalance: our go-to is red grapefruit: sweet, with just a hint of bitterness, this offsets the richness. Char the grapefruit on a griddle and rub with thyme leaves and you have a contrast in temperature, texture, and a balance of creamy sweet with bitter and herbal. This dish, taking moments is special indeed.

What to serve with this? This quintessential Italian cheese pairs beautifully with that most Italian of drinks, the Campari Spritz. A blend of Campari, soda and Premium Villa Sandi Prosecco, we make it a little fruitier by squeezing in half a red grapefruit juice too. We may not be able to fly to Italy on holiday this year, but with this feast, we shall have a little Dolce Vita at home.