Cheese. Bread. Fruit. This is all I want to live on during the summer months. And maybe a little corn thrown in. With wine on the side, obviously a crisp and dry rosé. Burrata is far and above THE cheese of the decade. It will be what baked brie in the 90’s was for the teens and 20’s Call me basic, but nothing is better than a quick and easy burrata salad for a summer meal.
I have made some version of this salad at least once a week since the first week of June. You can totally do whatever you want to this recipe, which is my favorite type of recipe. Non recipe recipes are always top tier.
From adding in a sliced peach or mango, to crisping a few slices of bacon and roasting your tomatoes in the fat, roasting corn and sprinkling on top, to placing the entire thing on a bed of peppery arugula or micro greens. You do you, boo boo, and live your best, cheesy life.
One thing I don’t recommend skipping, is using an herb salt. THIS STUFF IS BOMB. I’m not going to sit here and endorse an app like TikToc, but I’ve recently discovered cooking TikToc and learned quite a few tips and tricks. I can’t take credit for the herb salt, but I will forever be thankful to the TikToc algorithm gods that graced me with herb salt goodness.
BLISTERED TOMATO AND BURRATA APPETIZER
feeds two for dinner, four for appetizer
- one 8 oz container of burrata
- pint of cherry or heirloom baby tomatoes
- good quality olive oil
- herb salt
- fresh pepper
- chili flakes
- crusty bread
Thirty minutes to an hour before you are ready to serve, remove cheese from fridge to bring to room temperature.
Preheat your oven (or toaster oven!) to 450. Line a pan with parchment or a Silpat and drizzle olive oil over tomatoes. Toss with her salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast for 8-12 minutes, depending on the level of char you like. I always go for the longer side.
Toast up your bread if you like. Rub a garlic clove on the slices. Or just let it be naked. This is your cheese baby and you get to do what you want.
Place burrata in a shallow bowl or on a wooden board. Slice a cross into the top and spread out just a bit to allow the creamy inside to ooze a bit. Sprinkle with herb salt, fresh pepper and just a dash of chili flakes.
Gently place warm tomatoes on and around the cheese. If you are adding more fun ingredients, this is where I would put everything together. Then, one more crack of fresh pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to top it all off.
Voila. You are now a five star chef serving a $30 appetizer in your own home.
Happy summer!
