A SIMPLE DRIZZLE OF BALSAMIC GLAZE AND A FEW BASIL LEAVES HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE FINAL PRESENTATION

Bur-ra-ta translated from Italian literally means ‘buttered’. It is a a typical product of Puglia, a region in the south of Italy and it is absolutely one of my favorite cheeses. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from a combination of mozzarella and cream.  The outer shell is solid mozzarella, while the inside is a combination of both mozzarella and cream, producing a unique, soft texture. It’s so delicate and just plain decadent! Even

though I’ve been cooking with and enjoying Burrata for years, there was a time when I not only had no idea what it was, but also didn’t see what all of the fuss was about. Alas, I’m reminiscing about my younger years, when I was just beginning to tap into my love for cooking.  I’ll share with you my highly embarrassing first experience with one of my favorite indulgences.

BEAUTIFUL HEIRLOOM TOMATOES DIRECTLY FROM THE FARMERS HANDS

I had just returned from a 3 day work trip which included lounging on the beach in Hawaii, swimming with sea turtles, a shopping spree for my new bachelorette pad and epic local food. Oh, and I can’t forget that I was able to bring my best friend along with me for my layover. She came over to my apartment for a salad and we ended up in Hawaii 10 hours later. True story. How cool is that?

Life was fantastic to say the least. I was for the first time ever living by myself (sans room mates), making enough money to travel every other month and had a career & lifestyle I felt very lucky to have. Ultimately, I felt like everything was coming up Sacha and  that I was exactly on the path I was supposed to be on. Sorry! I’m just trying to set the scene and help you understand where I was in my life but I’ll get to the point.

FARMERS MARKET MECCA OF FRESH TOMATOES AND BASIL

I returned from the grocery store with burrata in hand(fancy), poured myself a glass of vino and felt like a freaking grown up.  My bubble burst when I attempted to slice the cheese and was horrified to see all of the creamy liquid ooze out of the burrata. I had never seen this happen before. This isn’t normal right? What the H#%L! The cheese had gone bad! The grocery store had sold me rotten cheese. RUDE!

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES ARE MY FAVORITE KIND. I LOVE HOW THEY’RE ALWAYS DIFFERENT!

After feeling sorry for myself for a minute I took a serious page out of my mothers book and marched back over to the grocery store with my receipt and evidence of said rotten cheese. The kind gentleman in the deli gave me a look of pity and was thinking what I can only imagine was  ‘Awwww look at this poor clueless, naive girl.’ He continued to tell me that yes, Burrata was in fact supposed to be soft and creamy on the inside. That is whyyyy people actually buy it. I’m fairly certain my face turned as red as the purse I was carrying. If I had a tail it would of been creeping so far between my legs it would disappear. Ohhh my, how the self proclaimed ‘grown up’ just got taken down a few notches. I was so grateful to the kind gentleman for being discreet and not schooling me in front of the entire deli.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES & BASIL MAKE A SIMPLE & COLORFUL BASE FOR THIS SALAD

Now I look back on that day fondly and it always makes me smile. I’ve come a long way in the kitchen from that day but I will forever be learning. It wasn’t my first humbling experience and I’m sure it won’t be my last. Until then I’m going to keep eating this salad all year round.

Enjoy this Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata & Balsamic Glaze as an appetizer or main dish. Just eat it. It’s so damn good!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata & Balsamic Glaze

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Salad or Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 package burrata with 2 balls
• ½ cup basil, sliced into little matchsticks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp good quality olive oil
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• balsamic glaze to drizzle

Instructions

1. Cut the clean heirloom tomatoes in bites sized pieces.
2. Add garlic, basil, olive oil and S&P.
3. Mix Ingredients
4. Cover & place in the fridge to allow the flavors to mix, preferably for an hour at least.
5. Remove from fridge and using a slotted spoon arrange on serving platter or individual small plates.
6. Add pieces of burrata to the top of the tomato salad and garnish with basil.
7. Drizzle with balsamic glaze

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Oftentimes simplicity is best

Bruschetta reminds me of childhood summers in Nova Scotia, Canada. I know I know, that’s not the first thing you think of when you think about Nova Scotia but I have so many memories of being on summer vacation and chowing down on some bruschetta.  Even now after making this recipe hundreds of times, that first bite still bring me back home.

I’m too pretty to eat..

When I was growing up, we had a fairly large garden on our property. My parents both loved to garden and you could often find them outside working together when the weather was nice. As a result, we always had an abundance of tomatoes and fresh basil in the summertime. Luckily my brother Matt & I loved garlicky bruschetta, because my mum made it almost daily! She could stretch a dime into a dollar and I really admire that about her, as I get older especially.

TOMATOES & BASIL ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE FOOD COMBINATIONS OF ALL-TIME

I would strongly recommend this recipe to someone who isn’t the most confident in the kitchen. Having to cook for other people can be stressful, so try to keep it simple so you can relax and enjoy yourself. The ingredients are minimal and preparation is simple. It’s very low maintenance appetizer and a great option for entertaining.

Reliving my childhood two pieces of bruschetta at a time!

Lately I’m really liking this for breakfast served with sliced avocado and a little bit of sea salt & fresh pepper.

Enjoy! xx

Mama's Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup basil, minced
• ½ cup parmiagiano reggiano, grated
• 2 scallions(white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• baguette of your choice sliced into ½-1 inch slices

Instructions

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This allows the flavors to marry and intensify.
4. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil to allow for easy clean up.
5. Slice baguette into ½- 1 inch slices, depending on preference. Place them on the lined baking sheet.
6. Using a slotted spoon, spread mixture on sliced baggette. Be careful not to put too much mixture on the baguette or it will be difficult and messy to eat.
7. Sprinkle parmigiano reggiano
8. Bake for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of baguette. Be sure to check after 5 minutes and see if they are done.
9. Serve on a platter with a light sprinkling of fresh basil.
10. Enjoy!

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The post Mama’s Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta appeared first on The Peony Life.