We’re back for the third instalment of our Summer salads series. This week, a classic recipe that promises delicious flavour and effortless assembly. Featuring grilled peaches, creamy burrata and toasted walnuts – the contrasting flavours and textures are your ticket to Summer salad prowess.
One of the highlights of Summer is indulging in sweet, nourishing stone fruit. Once the cherries have peaked and we’ve gorged ourselves silly throughout the festive period, we’re left to delight in peaches, nectarines and apricots.
Stone fruit make for simple, show-stopping salads when paired with cheese – and if you’re yet to try grilling some: don’t delay! The cooking process caramelises the sugars and adds a whole new dimension of exquisite flavour.
Never tried burrata?
Another thing to rectify, pronto! Claiming its place among my all-time favourite soft cheeses, burrata is a creamier, softer upgrade of fresh mozzarella – more reminiscent of regular buffalo mozzarella, thanks to its rich flavour.
The name burrata, which comes from the Italian word ‘burro’ (butter), describes the creamy, buttery centre of this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cheese experience.
To describe it a little more literally (apologies for getting carried away, there), it’s made from an outer shell of mozzarella, which is filled with a combination of cream and small curds. These soft, rich contents gently spill out upon slicing. There’s truly nothing else like it!
Sourcing your star ingredients
It’s best to look for peaches which are ripe but still slightly firm, as over-ripe fruit can be a little trickier to grill. Rest assured that if you can only get your hands on the latter, this salad is almost as delicious using fresh raw peaches instead.
Locally, you can find Australian made burrata cheese at Salt Pig Deli and Harris Farm, both located in Erina and also occasionally at Bam Vino Deli in Erina Heights. Genuine buffalo mozzarella is a perfectly suitable substitute, albeit a little less soft and creamy.
It’s good to have a balsamic reduction on hand for this salad – they take a mere 5 minutes to make at home (simply simmer balsamic vinegar with a little sugar until it thickens). There are also some good quality store-bought glazes on the market these days – just look for one with as few ingredients as possible.
Grilled peach and burrata salad recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 peaches (ripe but slightly firm)
- 1 ball of burrata
- A few handfuls of fresh rocket
- A handful of toasted walnuts
- Olive oil
- Balsamic reduction or glaze
- Good quality salt
- Pepper
Method:
- Grilling the peaches: cut the peaches into halves and remove the seed, then brush the cut side generously with a good quality olive oil. Place them cut side down on a very hot grill and allow them to cook for around 3 minutes. Once they’re cooked, set the peaches aside (cut side up) on a plate to cool.
- Toss the rocket in a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic glaze and a pinch of salt, then place it onto individual plates or one larger platter to serve.
- Decide whether you want to leave the peaches as they are or have them sliced into quarters, then rest them on top of the rocket leaves. Gently slice the burrata and break into pieces to accompany the peaches.
- Garnish with the toasted walnuts, a few extra splashes of oil and balsamic glaze, another pinch of salt and some black pepper.
Serve on its own as a well-balanced and refreshing meal or as a delicious side to accompany whatever is cooking on your barbeque this Summer.
We have more delicious recipes coming your way, so if you’re in salad mode, stay tuned over the coming weeks.
Georgia is a clinically trained nutritionist, wholefoods chef, columnist and mum. She’s been featured in Body & Soul and had TV appearances on ABC Breakfast and Studio 10 for her unique approach to food and health. She’s known for reinventing traditional foods for the modern kitchen and was instrumental in a radical new approach to sports nutrition with a program for the NRL Parramatta Eels, kickstarting their ascent on the ladder in recent years. Find out more at stirringchange.com.