AROUND HOME : Notes on Fresh Cheeses, and Garden and Animal Events : Fresh Cheeses

SOME KINDS OF cheese get better as they get older, hitting their peak after they’ve been aged for a few years. Other cheeses, however, are at their best when they’re made, then begin to wane almost immediately.

Mozzarella falls into the latter category. So does rich-tasting ricotta. Mascarpone, the soft, creamy and slightly tangy Italian version of cream cheese, is another cheese that is never better than in the first moments of life.

At the grocery store, your chances of getting freshly made cheeses are pretty slim. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for old cheese. The Mozzarella Co., a Texas outfit, carefully packs its cheeses into Styrofoam coolers the day they are made, adds an icepack and ships them by overnight mail.

Postage is expensive (2 to 4 pounds, for example, is $15)--you’d have to need a lot of cheese to make ordering it worth your while. Still, if you were having a party and planning on serving an appetizer of mozzarella with tomatoes and basil, or a simple mascarpone dip, or you need a lot of ricotta for a cheesecake or lasagna, this cheese would surely be a hit. The mozzarella is tangy and soft ($7.50 a pound), the ricotta ($3) is absolutely fresh and delightful, and the mascarpone ($7.50) is addictive. The company also makes a wide range of other cheeses, including a fromage blanc made from cow’s ($4) or goat’s ($9.50) milk, various goat cheeses and caciotta ($7), a semi-soft, mellow wheel cheese. As an introduction, try the Classic Italian Sampler--two pounds of mozarella, and a pound each of ricotta and mascarpone--for $42.50 (includes shipping). The company ships Monday through Thursday for delivery the following day.

For a product list of fresh cheeses, write to The Mozzarella Co., 2944 Elm St., Dallas, Tex. 75226; or telephone (214) 741-4072.