Seasonal tomatoes, sweet peaches, creamy burrata and tangy pomegranate molasses make for an indulgent summer salad
Our February heatwave has passed and there wasn’t a single 40°C day! After the fires this time last year, and after the hell-year that was 2020, a mild summer has been a pleasant surprise.
But this time of year always reminds me of tomatoes.
Of travelling home from school, an hour journey each way on public transport, in sweltering heat, where mum would more often that not have a tomato and feta salad marinading away for dinner.
There would be other food too – Greek mothers don’t just make a tomato salad – but all I was interested in was devouring those fresh tomatoes tossed around in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with chunks of salty feta, and good bread.
Never mind the disapproving looks she gave me because I didn’t eat anything else; by high school I was used to it… back then she wasn’t too sure what to do with a vegetarian daughter!
Watch the burrata get cut open:
This tomato, peach and burrata salad is an Italian meets Middle Eastern-inspired version of the tomato and feta salad I grew up eating. In part developed because I had tomatoes and peaches to use up but not a single crumb of feta in the fridge.
I’ve kept the summer tomatoes but switched out the salty feta for creamy burrata. I replaced the oil and vinegar dressing with a tangier pomegranate molasses and honey mix. And I added fresh fruit, peaches work best, and lots and lots of mint.
Why Peaches?
In cooking, we sometimes forget that tomatoes are a fruit; we’re just so comfortable with using them in savoury dishes as a vegetable. But tomatoes go really well with other fruit too, including summer stone fruit and berries.
Nectarines, plums and apricots – all pair surprisingly well with tomatoes. But for this salad in particular, with the pomegranate molasses and the mint, peaches are the obvious choice, their texture holding up better than the softer, more watery stone fruit. And though I prefer the taste of yellow peaches, either the yellow or white peach varieties will work well.
What is Burrata?
Burrata, which literally means buttery, is a southern Italian cow’s milk cheese that closely resembles mozzarella.
The main difference between the two is the addition of cream. Burrata is formed into a pouch, where offcuts of mozzarella and a dollop of cream are added before it’s tied off at the top.
It’s a very milky, buttery tasting cheese, and when you cut it open, the combined mozzarella bits and cream ooze out; which makes it a perfect cheese to put on top of pasta! Thought it’s equally as good served with crusty fresh bread or gnocco fritto, or even a fruit salad of berries and figs and a drizzle of honey.
What is Pomegranate Molasses?
Pomegranate molasses is pomegranate juice – either from a fresh pomegranate or bottled pomegranate juice – that has been simmered and reduced down until it becomes a syrup. A little sugar, a little lemon, and that’s pretty much it!
Depending on the juice used to make it at home, or the brand that you buy, pomegranate molasses can be sharp and sour or tangy and sweet. It’s a thick liquid and a little goes a long way.
A staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, it can be used as a glaze for fish and meat, a drizzle over roasted vegetables as a finishing sauce or incorporate it into a dressing like I have here for this salad. It’s also used in many sweet dishes, such as faloodeh, molasses biscuits, or as a baste for seasonal roasted fruit.
How to Serve the Salad
This tomato, peach and burrata salad is great served with bread as a light meal for two. On a stinking hot evening, you don’t need much more. Maybe some ice cream for dessert. Or it works equally well as a side salad if you serve it with some veggie fritters, kofta or chicken.
Just make sure not to cut open the burrata until you’re all seated and ready to eat!
Looking for other Summer Recipes? Try These:
Tomato, Peach and Burrata Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped or chiffonade
- 3 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 peaches
- 1 ball of burrata, room temperature
- Bread, to serve, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Start by preparing the tomatoes so that they can stand for at least 20 minutes before serving (especially if they were refrigerated). Chop all the tomatoes in half or in quarters, depending on the size of the ones you’ve chosen. Add them to a bowl, along with any escaped juices and seeds. Scatter with the fresh mint.
- Make the dressing by combining the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Depending on the tanginess of your pomegranate molasses and the acidity of your lemons, you may need to adjust the dressing to you liking. Go slow though, add half teaspoons of lemon juice or honey at a time until you find the right level of tartness for you!
- Pour half of the dressing over the tomatoes and toss to coat. Set both the tomatoes and the remaining dressing aside.
- Wipe the peaches to get rid of any fibres from the skin, cut them in half and remove the pit. Cut the peach halves into wedges and toss them through the tomato mixture.
- When ready to serve, drain the burrata and place it on the centre of a platter. Arrange the tomato and peach salad around the ball of burrata, spoon over the remaining dressing and serve, cutting the burrata open to let the cream run out through the salad and dressing.
1 Comment
How refreshing! I love burrata. Can’t wait for peach season to get here. Btw, Eff, are you cohosting this Friday? And also, I sent you an invite to join Fiesta Friday Friends Group Board. Do check it out.