Burrata cheese

photo, Diane Carnevale 

Italian Burrata cheese is an ethereal bite of heaven. At a quick glance the cheese looks much like a sphere of mozzarella, but inside that sphere is a mixture of soft mozzarella cheese and cream. Molto bene, si?  The cheese has a soft texture and a rich, buttery flavor— in fact burratta in Italian means buttered, so there you go. You can find this cheese locally at Meadowbrook Farms in Hamilton, and be sure to get it when it's super fresh; they get a delivery every Thursday. The cheese pairs well with vine ripened summer tomatoes, like the ones you see here which are fresh from my garden. Be sure to have  piece of crusty bread ready to sop up the creamy, tomatoey juices. Add a drizzle of olive oil (Italian of course!), salt and pep and you're instantly transported to the Italian countryside.