Marinated Mozzarella Cheese

An easy way to spice up traditional antipasti
is by marinating them in olive oil and herbs.
Here, mozzarella cheese gets the soaking treatment,
making for extra-flavorful hors d’oeuvres.

Ingedients:
1/2-teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2-teaspoon fresh Italian parsley leaves
1-teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1-teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/4-teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-tablespoons very good olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
4 oz fresh mozzarella (or 2 egg sized “ovalinis”)

Directions:
Mince the herbs and put them into a small bowl or jar.
Add the red pepper flakes, and the olive oil.
Allow the marinade to sit at least 20 minutes
and up to 8 hours at room temperature.
About 30 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to serve this,
taste the marinade and adjust the seasoning using salt and pepper.
Cut mozzarella in to 1/4” thick slices.
Arrange them on a serving platter so that
they slightly overlap, but plenty of their flat surfaces
are exposed to accept the marinade.
Drizzle the marinade over the cheese slices
and let stand about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Serve with marinated olives, crackers or bread,
and some good cured meat like Abruzzese sausage.