Fig Salad with marinated mozzarella

150g Buffalo Mozzarella cheese 
6-8 firm ripe figs
8-10  mint leaves
Salt & freshly ground pepper
 

For the marinade:

2 Tablespoon Walnut oil  
1 Teaspoon sunflower oil
Juice of 1 lemon
½ garlic, peeled and crushed 

1. Slice the mozzarella into thin slices with a sharp knife.

2. Combine two tablespoons of walnut oil with a teaspoon of sunflower oil, the juice of a lemon and half a garlic clove, peeled and crushed. Marinate the sliced cheese for a few hours in the refrigerator. 

3. Arrange on a serving platter. Slice the ends off the figs and cut into round slices. Arrange the fig slices over the cheese on the platter. Sprinkle with the freshly cracked pepper and the mint leaves. Drizzle the marinade over the top of the salad just before serving. Serve with a glass of *Vino Cotto on the side. 

*Vino Cotto – literally "Cooked wine" – is a type wine with very ancient origins, typical of the Marche and Abruzzo regions in central Italy. It has nothing to do with mulled wine. It is difficult to find on the market, and its production is still mostly in the hands of local farmers, who follow old recipes and ways of production handed down from generation to generation. It was once consumed as a normal table wine, now it is preferred as a dessert wine or accompanied by cheeses.