Marinated buffalo mozzarella and tomato

This is probably one of the simplest yet finest starters you can offer. There’s only one catch - your ingredients. I would ditch the idea at once if I couldn’t get a ripe summery tomato, juicy and sweetly intense, a tomato that has never seen a fridge or a chilled truck, only soil and sun. You can actually get such tomatoes if you look hard enough. The best tomato I ever had was homegrown in the village of Monarola in the Cinque Terre, northern Italy. I’ll never forget it. You also need a top-quality buffalo mozzarella. Serve this with good crusty white bread.

Marinade
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 15 basil leaves, shredded
• 2 tsp chopped oregano
• 2 tsp best-quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
• 2 tsp grapeseed oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt
• black pepper
• 8 to 9 oz buffalo mozzarella
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed)

• To make the marinade. Scatter the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat and dry-roast until they begin to pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush roughly. Place the crushed seeds in a small bowl and add the remaining marinade ingredients.
• Break the mozzarella roughly with your hands. Smear it with the marinade and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
• To serve, cut the tomatoes into wedges and plate along with the marinated mozzarella. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve.
• Serves 4 as a starter