RECIPES

Grilled Plum Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

Grilling caramelizes the plums; they add a delicate, sweet touch to the peppery arugula and milky, smooth mozzarella cheese. Firm but ripe plums work best. Serve this salad as a main dish or side to grilled meat or seafood.

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups fresh baby arugula or baby spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 plums, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 cups torn baguette (1 1/2-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Fresh Mozzarella cheese - Ball
1 tablespoon hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese

Look for the Proudly Wisconsin Badge when shopping for cheese. Any brand of Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella can be used in this recipe.

Instructions

Grease grill grate. Heat grill to medium-high.
Transfer arugula to a large salad bowl.
Brush grill grid with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Warm grid on grill grate, covered, over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add plum slices to grill grid. Grill, covered, for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once, or until caramelized. Remove from the heat. Add plums to salad bowl.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over bread pieces; toss to coat. Place onto grill grid.
Place on grill grate. Grill bread, covered, for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until toasted. Transfer to salad bowl.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over salad; toss gently. Tear mozzarella into 1 1/2-inch pieces; arrange on salad. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Top with hazelnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Tip

A grill basket would also work for cooking the plums and bread.
Peaches could be subsituted for the plums.

Cheesemonger Tip

Fresh, milky mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese. The term “pasta filata” translates to spun paste and refers to the cheesemaking process in which the curds are dipped in hot water and then kneaded and stretched into strands.