Strawberry & Burrata Salad

It’s Strawberry season and I’m ready for it! Big, juicy, garnet-colored berries are everywhere right now BEGGING to be used in all the dishes! And what better way than to pair them with a creamy, buttery, rich cheese?! Burrata in the house! If you aren’t familiar with burrata – it’s very similar to the taste and look of FRESH mozzarella -but super soft to the touch because inside that perfect little round ball of goodness is actual cream…and shreds of mozzarella cheese. I know, it’s a dream come true. And while you *MIGHT* think that the strawberries are the star of this show, once you cut open the burrata and witness that rich cream seeping from the center – you’ll know who the REAL star is. There’s nothing sexier than olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper glistening atop a ball of burrata. Don’t believe me? Try this salad to see for yourself!

Ingredients List:

• 1lb of freshly picked, hulled strawberries -sliced
• 3 cups arugula
• 2-3 balls of burrata (I happened to pick up burrata WITH black truffles)
• 3 oz prosciutto
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chiffonade-cut

Champagne Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Vinaigrette Instructions:

1. Coarsely chop shallot, add to mini food processor. Pulse until shallot is finely chopped.
2. Add all ingredients – except for olive oil- into the processor and pulse until incorporated.
3. Slowly stream olive oil into processor, until emulsified.

Salad Assembly

1. On a large platter, make a bed of arugula. Top with basil.
2. Cut prosciutto in half pieces and arrange in various spots on top of greens
3. Scatter strawberries
4. Place burrata balls on salad and drizzle with olive oil (and/or champagne vinaigrette) and freshly cracked black pepper on top of whole salad
5. If ready to eat immediately, cut open burrata so the creamy center seeps out and top salad with vinaigrette.

Live Cooking Demo

Cocktail

Grapefruit & Gin Rose – recipe from Honest Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lemon wedges
• 1-2 slices of grapefruit
• Ice
• 6 oz rosé wine
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz simple syrup to taste

Instructions:

• Muddle the lemon wedges and grapefruit in the bottom of a glass/cocktail shaker. Add in the ice, rosé, gin and stir well. Add in the simple syrup to your desired sweetness.
• DOUBLE Strain into a wine glass and add the muddled lemon and grapefruit.