spring burrata salad.

I plan on eating some variation of this salad at least once a week for the rest of the summer (and let's be honest here, I would eat a variation of this well into the fall).  Why you may ask?  First and foremost it's excellent and secondly because my new life motto is that burrata makes everything better (seriously everything).

Burrata turns a ho-hum salad into something special.  It turns it into a meal.  It turns it into a dish worthy of a dinner party.  (And such an easy dish at that!)

This version is inspired by a picture I saw on Instagram which is where a lot of my cooking inspiration comes from as of late.  Thinly sliced sugar snap peas, basil, and chopped asparagus are tossed with the simplest of ingredients - lemon juice, olive oil (the really good stuff), salt and pepper.  The preparation allows for the farmers market fresh produce to shine which in my humble opinion is the whole point of cooking with farmers market produce.  The burrata adds the requisite creaminess which is why this salad is so damm dreamy.  Best served with well toasted bread to sop up all the juices.





Spring Burrata Salad 

Serves 2

1/4 pound sugar snap peas, ends trimmed, blanched, and thinly sliced
1/4 pound asparagus, blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces
10 basil leaves roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces of burrata

Place the sugar snap peas, asparagus, basil, and pistachios in a bowl.  Toss the vegetables with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  

Tear the burrata into pieces and divide among two plates.  Top the burrata with the vegetables.  Drizzle the plate with additional olive oil, salt and pepper.  

burrata, sugar snap peas, and grapefruit

This dish is an ode to California (I can't begin to describe how much I miss it) and Baco Mercat where I ate a similar version.  

This is the epitome of perfect summer eating.  Light, bright flavors anchored by something indulgent (and minimal cooking involved which is a welcome necessity in the summer months).  In this version it's crisp sugar snap peas, wedges of tart grapefruit, chunks of rich and creamy burrata (I am addicted and am refraining from calculating how much I've spent on burrata this month), crunchy croutons, and a tangy vinaigrette that brings the whole dish together.  I can't get enough of these flavors and textures.  

I plan on eating some version of this dish throughout the summer by simply changing the fruits and vegetables as the produce offerings change (peaches and corn! arugula and cherries! watermelon and feta!).  There is something both refreshing and satisfying about this kind of dish especially because there is an ease with which it can be made which is what makes it a perfect summer dish.  

Burrata, Sugar Snap Peas, and Grapefruit

Serves 2

2 cups sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed 

1 ruby red grapefruit, sectioned (here is a wonderful tutorial if you need it!) - Keep the middle of the grapefruit!

1 cup homemade croutons

1 ball of burrata or buffalo mozzarella

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Aleppo pepper to taste (optional)

Chives for garnish

Bring a small pot of water to boil.  When the water is boiling, add the sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove the sugar snap peas from the water and immediately shock them in ice cold water to stop the cooking.  Dry the beans off, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and set them aside.  

To make the dressing squeeze the leftover middle of the grapefruit into a bowl to get out as much juice as possible.  You should be able to get a tablespoon or two (if you don't enough juice just squeese one of your grapefruit sections into the bowl).  Add to the bowl with the juice the sherry vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of Aleppo pepper (if using), and salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  

On two plates scatter the sugar snap peas.   Break the burrata up into pieces and scatter them onto the plate with the peas.  Top the burrata and sugar snap peas with the segments of grapefruit, croutons, and minced chives.  Spoon the vinaigrette over the dish. Garnish with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper  Serve immediately.  

roasted tomato caprese with avocado.

I spent $5.50 the other week on a pound of organic, greenhouse raised, farmer’s market tomatoes.  Every time I think about it, I think of how absurd it is to spend so much on tomatoes (before their official season is even close to starting!) but I couldn’t help it.  I became fixated on a roasted tomato caprese with avocado tartine that I saw on Not Without Salt when I was in California.  It caught my eye and my stomach the second I saw the pictures.  This is the kind of dish that shocked me with it’s simplicity and made me wonder why I never thought of such a combination.  I’ve eaten it about 4 times since getting home (I may have purchased another pound of inordinately priced tomatoes…) and I don’t see my consumption of it stopping any time soon.  It makes for a wonderful light dinner or a superb leisurely rainy afternoon lunch.  It’s salty and creamy and everything comes together perfectly in each and every bite. 

Roasted Tomato Caprese with Avocado

Recipe adapted barely from Not Without Salt (her photos are absurdly beautiful)

1 large beefsteak tomatoes or 2 medium sized tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

A pinch of red pepper flakes

4 large leaves fresh basil

3 thick slices of country bread

½ an avocado, peeled and sliced thin

½ large burrata ball (or buffalo mozzarella)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut the large tomato in 1/4″ inch slices. Lay on a parchment lined sheet tray and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Roast for 30 minutes until wilted, wrinkly, and caramelized in parts.  When the tomatoes have roasted, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. 

Toast the bread in the oven or in the toaster until golden brown.

Assemble the tartine by topping the bread with the sliced avocado.  On top of the avocado place torn pieces of burrata (make sure you get the creamy inside!).  Add a small pile of roasted tomatoes on top.  Finish with some torn leaves of basil and a pinch of flaky sea salt. 

burrata with asparagus, pine nuts, and golden raisins.

Rather suddenly it has gotten very, very hot in New York.  While standing on the subway platform I feel like a cooked egg.  No amount of ice coffee can make me feel any cooler while I wait for the train.  I find the heat to be worse at the end of the day and by the time I get home all I want to do is lie down in our cool apartment and take a nap with a cold compress of my forehead.

The overbearing heat creates a challenging cooking environment - the idea of turning on the oven an unbearable thought.  However, eating raw veggies for the next three months doesn’t fulfill all my culinary desires.  With that being said, I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate a lot of the farmers market produce into a quick cooking dinner that doesn’t use the stove for longer then 10 minutes.  In addition, it needs be filling enough for the boyfriend - he can eat a lot and while I am happy with a few bites of food for dinner, he requires more then that.  A tall order perhaps, but I think it can be done.

I recently came across a dish for burrata and asparagus.  Reading the recipe made me feel as if I was in Italy eating outside under large olive trees.  I knew I had to make it.  With slices of toasted Italian bread drizzled with olive oil and double the amount of asparagus, it would be substantial enough for dinner.  I drizzled the whole dish with a little balsamic and some spicy honey (because really I haven’t come up with anything that it doesn’t taste good on) and had the perfect dinner for hot summer evenings. 

Burrata with Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins

Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

2 tablespoons golden raisins

¾ - 1 pound slender asparagus

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Salt and Pepper

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh bread crumbs

1 ball of burrata (usually 6 – 8 oz in size)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Mikes Hot Honey

Soak the golden raisins in warm water to cover for at least 5 minutes.  Dain the fruit and pat dry.

Cut the woody ends from the asparagus and discard.  Cut the asparagus in 2 inch long pieces.  Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add the asparagus to the water and cook until the spears are tender about 2 – 4 minutes. 

In a large skillet over low heat, warm the pine nuts until lightly toasted, shaking the pan occasionally.  Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool. 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, shaking the pan vigorously, until the crumbs are light golden and crisp, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a plate to cool. 

Place burrata on a plate.  Strew the asparagus, pine nuts, and raisins around the plate.  Top with breadcrumbs. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper.