Eating a peach with salt, basil and olive oil is not something I would automatically do. Just too strange. But when Michele Scicolone suggests it, Suzen and I were intrigued. This salad is a favorite for Suzen’s culinary team building events. It is the ideal recipe for a small team to tackle. Plenty of slicing of peaches and tomatoes. There is basil to tear and the matching crostini to adorn with herbs and olive oil.
And then there is the fun of assembling the dish. As you can see from the photo, the tower can be quite striking. When the salad is placed before someone, there is that slight pause: “If I eat this, it won’t be pretty anymore.”
Go ahead. Cut in with that fork. You can always, and easily, make more.
And do yourself a big favor. The next time you have a sliced peach, try the salt, basil and olive oil. Darned if there is not a delicious alternative to sugar on fruit!
Peach, Tomato and Burrata Salad
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 3 firm but ripe peaches, pitted and cut into thin slices
- 2 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into thin slices
- Coarse salt
- 8 ounces Burrata or fresh Mozzarella Cheese
- 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into bits
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the olive oil herbed crostini:
- 12 (½-inch thick) slices rustic bread
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
For the salad, alternate the peach and tomato slices on a platter. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Cut the Burrata into chunks and place them in the center of the peaches and tomatoes. Scatter the basil on top, drizzle with oil and serve.
If you prefer, substitute sliced ripe avocado or ripe figs for the peaches.
For the crostini, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Arrange the bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the oven.
Prepare the olive oil mixture: add a pinch of dried oregano or thyme and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the olive oil before brushing the toasts.
Brush the bread on one side with the herbed olive oil mixture. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Source: The Italian Vegetable Cookbook by Michele Scicolone
Photo Information Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/5 for 1/60th second at ISO‑1000