Salads

Tomato and Microgreen Salad with Burrata

Are you loving the burrata trend? It seems to still grace our presence on social media after one year and I’m alright with it. I enjoy having a decadent, and creamy, option to cook with during these hot summer months.

So, what is burrata?

According to Masterclass, it is “distinguishable by its loose texture: small, soft cheese curds and cream are packaged inside an outer shell made of mozzarella”. For this reason, burrata offers a great blend of textures and decadence.

I bought black truffle flavored burrata for this recipe. It was quite affordable at Whole Foods.

What kind of tomato should I use?

Use your favorite tomato type! For this particular recipe I used a few juicy tomatoes that were locally grown by friends.

As a home gardener I have a great appreciation for growing and eating a variety of tomatoes. Tomatoes are one of my favorite foods to grow. There are so many types of tomatoes that range in flavor and color.

I am grateful for our friend, Garnett, who let me raid his seed collection in the early spring. I am currently growing a combination of hybrid and heirloom types. This is my first year not buying transplants and growing every tomato from seed.

Side note, the beautiful microgreens that I used in this salad were also grown by our friend.

Using an acidic and juicy heirloom tomato to burrata is complementary and recommended. Do you have a favorite type of tomato?

See how I start my vegetable and herb seeds in recycled containers HERE.

How to Make my Tomato and Microgreen Salad with Burrata

This simple recipe serves one person. However, it is easily be adjustable for a small party and it plates beautifully for an event like a brunch.

Fork that is resting in a slice of tomato, creamy burrata and purple microgreens. There are specks of black pepper on the plate.

Mise En Place

1 ball of burrata – room temperature, I used truffle flavored
1 heirloom tomato – sliced
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil extra virgin
1 -2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/4 cup of fresh microgreens
salt and pepper to taste

How to make the salad

Cut the heirloom tomato into several thick slices and arrange the slices on a plate. Place one ball of buratta on a plate and cut it open slightly to allow cheese curds to flow out.
Drizzle the tomatoes and cheese with the olive oil and champagne vinegar.
Next, season with salt and pepper to your preference.
Finally, top your dish with fresh microgreens and the serve.

All in All

This heirloom tomato salad with burrata is easy to assemble and wonderfully delicious. Certainly, truffle flavored burrata is the star of this dish. However, the delicious tomatoes, rich vinegar and fresh microgreens complement the velvety Italian cheese.

Tomato and Microgreen Salad with Burrata

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

1 ball burrata I used truffle flavored burrata
1 heirloom tomato sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 -2 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/4 cup microgreens
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut tomato into several thick slices and arrange on a plate. Place burrata on plate and cut open to allow mozzarella to flow out.
Drizzle tomatoes and burrata with the olive oil and champagne vinegar.
Season burrata and tomatoes with salt and pepper to your preference.
Top dish with fresh microgreens and serve.

Summer Dish Collab: Arugula Salad with Peaches and Cornbread Croutons

Jump to Recipe

Whether you’re entertaining cookout guests or just looking for creative ways to use your summer produce, my friends and I have you covered. I have collaborated with Whitney of Fabulous in Fayette and Marie from Bluegrass Blog to share our favorite summer dishes. I’m sharing the recipe for my arugula salad with peaches that includes crispy pancetta and goat cheese.

I love making creative, flavorful salads during the hot summer months. Since our collaborators are reppin’ Kentucky, I threw in some cornbread croutons for this salad. The croutons are simple to prep and an excellent use for leftover cornbread. Lastly, the salad is topped with a light vinaigrette that I love to make with fresh herbs from my garden.

You’ll definitely want to Pin this recipe lineup for reference as you’re planning summer meals!

Here’s how to make my Arugula Salad with Peaches and Cornbread Croutons…

Mise En Place

Arugula – rinsed and dried
Peaches – pits removed and sliced
Day-old Cornbread – cut into about 1 inch cubes
Pancetta – cubed, lightly sautéed until crispy
Goat Cheese – Crumbled
Herbs: Basil and Mint – rinsed and dried
Olive Oil (for cornbread prep and for vinaigrette)
Salt and Pepper – to taste
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Lemon Juice
Garlic – minced

Recipe Steps and Cooking Tips

Use day old cornbread for the best, crunchy results.

Start by making your cornbread croutons, so they have time to cool while you prep the salad. In a bowl, you’ll want to very gently toss your cornbread cubes in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once coated, place each cube on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until lightly browned. Tip: Browning won’t take long (especially if your oven runs hot like mine), so flip each crouton a few minutes in to check how crisp they are becoming).
Next, in a small pan, sauté your pancetta until crispy. Drain excess oil from pancetta and allow to cool.
To make the vinaigrette, blend together olive oil, herbs, honey, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Tip: If you don’t have a blender, finely chop your herbs whisk them into the other vinaigrette ingredients.
Assemble the salad by layering the arugula, cornbread croutons, sliced peaches, crumbled goat cheese, and crispy pancetta. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette or serve on the side. Serve finished salad immediately.

Summer Recipes from my fellow Kentucky Creators:

Whitney’s Elote Recipe

Follow Whitney on Instagram: Fabulous in Fayette

This recipe is perfect for cookouts! Whitney shares how she makes elotes, also known as Mexican street corn. The combination of sweet, charred corn and salty cotija is then topped with a spicy hot sauce.

Marie’s Watermelon Cake

Follow Marie on IG: Bluegrass Blog

Move over fruit salad! Marie shares how to make a stunning tiered dessert using summer-fresh fruits.

All in All

I hope you have a wonderful summer and enjoy this short round-up of seasonal dishes. I highly recommend checking out your local farmers market for seasonal produce to make any of these dishes!

Arugula Salad with Peaches and Cornbread Croutons

5 from 12 votes

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Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 – 6 cups Arugula rinsed and dried
2 Peaches pits removed and sliced
1/2 cup Pancetta cubed, lightly sautéed until crispy
4 oz Goat Cheese Crumbled

For the Cornbread Croutons

3 cups Cubed, Day-old Cornbread cut into about 1 inch cubes
2 – 3 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Vinaigrette

1/2 cup Olive oil extra virgin
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2-3 Basil leaves
8 -10 Mint leaves
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 clove Garlic minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut cornbread into 1 inch cubes. In a bowl, gently toss the cornbread cubes in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once coated, place each cube on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Half way through, flip cornbread cubes to prevent over browning. Set aside to cool.
Next, in a small pan, sauté your pancetta until crispy. Drain excess oil from pancetta and allow to cool.
To make the vinaigrette, blend together olive oil, herbs, honey, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.
Assemble the salads by layering the arugula, cornbread croutons, sliced peaches, crumbled goat cheese, and crispy pancetta. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette or serve on the side. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Keyword salad

Summer Dining: Whipped Feta with Tomato, Radish & Cucumber Salad

Creamy whipped feta and a bright vegetable medley make this the perfect summer salad. It takes 20 minutes to make.

We’ve had several 80-degree days over the last few weeks, so in my head, it’s summertime. I don’t have to wait for June 21st with weather like this, right? I love growing summer vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes.

Luckily, right after Derby Day, I was able to plant my sun-loving veggies in the garden. As a Kentucky-native and gardener, I believe that’s a safe time to assume we’re clear of freezes. It’s a superstition some would argue, because the Kentucky Derby changes dates each year.

Like last year, I started my seeds in recycled jugs. The winter sowing method has been my favorite (and most successful). It’s a lot like having mini-greenhouses in the yard throughout winter and early spring. The milk jugs provide enough humidity and protection from the elements for the seedlings to thrive until planting.

Swiss Chard seedlings being grown inside of an upcycled milk jug.

Thanks to kind friends and neighbors, I received clean, empty jugs. I also had friends who wanted to do a seed swap. I received some tomato and squash varieties that I’ve never grown before and look forward to trying and leads me to this delicious recipe…

Why Make Whipped Feta with Tomato, Radish & Cucumber Salad?

Whipped feta is creamy, slightly salty, and versatile. You may have seen it used as a base for a pasta dish. However, I think it makes an excellent pedestal for a seasonal tomato salad in this case. Here, I served it on a platter with endive leaves and crostini.

My favorite thing about making whipped feta is that it only takes 5 minutes. You just toss a few ingredients in the food processor or blender and let it whirl. It’s an easy, cold dish to prep for guests.

How To Make My Whipped Feta with Tomato, Radish & Cucumber Salad

Mise En Place

4-6 radishes – sliced thinly
15 – 20 cherry tomatoes – each cut in half
1 English cucumber – thinly sliced into rounds
1 handful Fresh chives and parsley – chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
salt and pepper – to your taste
1-2 cloves of garlic – minced
7 oz block of feta cheese
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt

Mix together the Salad

Start this dish by stirring together all of the prepped vegetables and herbs. Next drizzle in the olive oil and rice vinegar. To your taste, season the salad with salt and pepper.

I recommend making the salad first. Because, while you make the whipped feta, the water from the cucumbers and tomatoes will drain to bottom of the bowl. This will ensure your overall dish isn’t ruined by excessive liquids. Waiting also allows for the vegetables to marinate; really taking in the acidity of the rice vinegar and the flavors of the fresh herbs.

Whip the Feta

While the salad rests, you’ll need to make the whipped feta. This step is very simple! In a food processor or blender, combine the feta cheese, garlic and yogurt until smooth. I prefer not to add any salt because the feta is salty by nature.

Plate Your Salad and Feta Mix

Lastly, you’ll plate your prepped foods for serving. You can spoon the whipped feta in a platter or into individual bowls. Then top the feta with the salad. I do recommend draining the salad a bit before adding to the feta.

All in All

I’ll be making persistently this all summer long. This is a great dish for entertaining! I think serving along side toasted crostini and endive works well. The creamy feta and medley of fresh vegetables were easy to scoop up and paired well.

Enjoy!

If you’re anxious for summer too, checkout these dishes:

Whipped Feta with Cucumber, Tomato and Radish Salad

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20

Course Appetizer, Salad, Sauces and Dips

Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

4-6 radishes sliced thinly
15 – 20 cherry tomatoes each halved
1 English cucumber thinly sliced in rounds
1 handful Fresh chives and parsley chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Whipped Feta

7 oz block feta cheese
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt or Greek yogurt if preferred
1 – 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, oil, vinegar, and chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. All salad to marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Drain off excess liquid.
Using a food processor, whip together the feta cheese, yogurt and garlic for about 1-2 minutes.
Spread whipped feta onto a platter or plates. Next spoon the salad mixture onto the whipped feta and serve immediately.

Keyword cucumber, feta, radish, salad, tomato, whipped