I’m loving the new Gioia mini burrata. At four ounces—half the usual size—it’s just right for two, and that’s all the people I get to cook for these days. A whole burrata is a commitment. Once you cut into that oozy interior, you have to finish it.
A Napa Valley winery chef turned me on to the combination of burrata, tomatoes and peaches. I’d been seeing versions of this salad online, but his rendition has some appealing refinements.
From chef Derick Kuntz of B Cellars in Napa, I learned that you don’t need a dressing for this salad. It’s more refreshing with just droplets of extra virgin olive oil and an interesting sweet-tart vinegar. Quick-pickled red onions are another brilliant touch, as are the cucumbers. Thank you, Derick.
I prefer nectarines over peaches, and I didn’t have the Carr’s Cider Syrup that Derick uses. Fortunately, my pie-loving husband had purchased a bottle of Wood’s Cider Mill Boiled Cider because he had heard it was good in apple pie. It is a fabulous product, fresh apple cider boiled down to its sweet-tart essence. A few drops really brighten this salad.
Burrata—basically, a mozzarella pouch filled with shreds of mozzarella in cream—should have a thin, tight skin and a pleasing cultured-milk flavor. It’s all about freshness with burrata so ask your local merchant what day the shipment arrives. Di Stefano also make a four-ounce burrata that is quite good.
Burrata, Nectarine and Tomato Salad
This recipe is my slight variation of one from Chef Derick Kuntz of B Cellars. His recipe will appear in my forthcoming book, GATHER: Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens (Spring 2021).
Pickled red onion:
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ small red onion, shaved or very thinly sliced
In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Put the onion slices in a bowl and pour the hot liquid over them. Cool, then chill for about 1 hour.
1 Persian cucumber
1 medium tomato, ripe but firm
½ large nectarine, ripe but firm
A few cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
4-ounce mini burrata, at room temperature
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 small handfuls of baby arugula or watercress
Wood’s Boiled Cider, Carr’s Cider Syrup, golden balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar
Thinly slice or shave the cucumber, preferably with a mandoline or V-slicer. Cut the tomato and the nectarine into wedges. Put the cucumbers, nectarines, tomato wedges and cherry tomatoes on a platter or tray, sprinkle with salt and a few drops of olive oil. Let stand for about 20 minutes to allow the ingredients to soften a bit and absorb some of the salt.
Just before serving, cut the burrata in half and put one half on each of 2 salad plates. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper. Surround the burrata with the cucumbers, tomatoes and nectarines. Lift some of the red onion slices out of the liquid, pat them with paper towels to dry slightly, and scatter here and there. (Whatever onions you don’t use will keep for several days in the fridge.) Scatter the arugula over all. Sprinkle the fruit and vegetables (not the cheese) with a little more olive oil and a few drops of the boiled cider. Serve immediately.
Serves 2