When given the option of a gooey chocolate volcano dessert or a plate of smelly cheese wedges to conclude a meal, I always opt for the latter. I don't know what it is about cheese, but it just speaks to me.

The tradition, the aging, the wide varieties and flavors all play a part in my utter devotion to the stinky stuff.

Sadly there is always that black sheep of the family. I hate to say it, and I will probably get scornful looks from people, but I am not a big lover of most mozzarellas

It is fine as a pizza or Parmesan topping, if you just want that hot stringy mess running from your mouth to your last bite, but what about taste?

During the summer, I love to get the most out of our fresh vegetables and herbs and enjoy making salads and fun appetizers to capture their flavors at their peaks.

A popular summer salad is Insalata Caprese, a wonderful dish of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. When made with good ingredients, this salad is fantastic.

You have to taste the tomatoes first to make sure they are sweet and aren't mealy. Grape or cherry tomatoes maintain their shape better in a chunky salad.

When making a sliced platter, your tomato selection is a bit more difficult.

Don't make the dish if the tomatoes are less than stellar and don't waste your money on fancy heirloom tomatoes if you have not tried them first.

It can become an expensive and disappointing venture if the legwork isn't done.

Homegrown herbs are economical and they have never been easier to grow. Save a few bucks by placing a few pots of fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, mint and parsley) on your porch or deck and tend to them throughout the summer.

Extras can be frozen for winter use. To get an extra bright color from your herbs, try blanching them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.

The most difficult component of this salad is the mozzarella. You can buy mozzarella in all shapes and sizes, but when making a salad where the cheese is a main ingredient, you need to spend a little more money for the good stuff.

We save some money by growing our own herbs and some of you save even more by growing your own tomatoes, so splurge on a nice buffalo mozzarella.

Yes it is made from buffalo milk and no, it doesn't come from Buffalo. It is creamier and has a stronger, grassy flavor than regular cow's milk mozzarella.

The cheese is very soft and I recommend slicing it with a sharp clean knife. The dressing for the salad is fairly simple.

In a blender, mix two cups of fresh basil, a half cup to three-fourths of a cup of extra virgin olive oil (only time I ever really use it), a quarter cup combined of red wine vinegar and lemon juice, two heads of roasted garlic, a quarter teaspoon each of crushed red pepper and black pepper, a half teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust. (To roast garlic, take the whole head and chop off the top to expose the beginning of the cloves. Pour a few drops of olive oil on the cloves and roast in a 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until soft.

Squeeze the cloves out of the head and discard any hard parts.) Blend until pourable and dress the shingled tomato/mozzarella platter or gently toss for the chunkier salad (only use enough dressing to lightly coat salads and reserve rest for later use). The salads can be made in advance and held in the refrigerator for up to two hours. An antipasto treat that is both visually appealing and easily consumable is a mozzarella roulade. I had made it in culinary school and at home, but only until recently have I seen it mass marketed by Bel Gioioso.

They call it the Unwrap & Roll. I have to say that it isn't as great as I thought it would be but it can be manipulated to taste better.

I recommend letting the product warm up on the counter for a few minutes. I was too eager and ripped part of the cheese.

Finding the opening flap of the cheese is trying but don't get frustrated. Delicately press the log with a paring knife until an opening exposes itself.

Carefully unroll. I looked up the product on the company's Web site and was weary of what I had seen. The filling and size of the roulade seemed too abundant for tidy consumption so I decided to cut the sheet into thirds to make smaller bite-size slices.

Of the recipes that I concocted, the winning mix was all about peppers. I sauteed three garlic cloves in oil then added three-fourths of a cup of julienned roasted red pepper and two tablespoons of minced green chilies.

Remove from heat and add a half cup of roughly chopped cilantro and a tablespoon of white vinegar.

Pour mix into a paper towel-lined strainer and weigh down to remove some of the excess moisture. Microwave two tablespoons of jalapeno jelly (found in the jelly aisle) for less than a minute, just to make it more spreadable.

Portion the jelly between the thirds, sprinkle with a generous amount of garlic salt, then top with the pepper mix. Re-roll the mozzarella in the opposite direction from which it had been unrolled.

Wrap in plastic wrap and tie ends up with twist ties. Refrigerate the roulades for a few hours to let the flavors meld.

When ready to serve, with the plastic wrap still on, slice into quarter inch rounds with a very sharp, clean knife. Remove plastic wrap and arrange on a platter with cured meats, olives or bruschetta.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is a Culinary Institute of America graduate