Long weekends with glorious weather are truly precious in Minnesota. But even if the rain comes to spoil your fun, an indoor picnic with a simple fresh Burrata and Tomato Tartine is an absolutely magnificent way to spend an evening.
Yes it was a 3 day weekend and yes we grilled a lot but also it was a weekend to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who died while serving this nation in the military. Thank you to our friends and family who served.
We have been busy over here at Casa T. With multiple trips to our old place, the hardware store and Target/Ikea, it has felt like we have crammed so much in just 3 days. Add on house work, yard work, garage/electrical work, cooking and cleaning, and yea we are feeling pretty accomplished right about now.
Good news is that it is finally grill season! Basically our grill is set up on the deck and ready to feed us all summer. I love grilling! Like absolutely love it! Really, I think I could grill everything single meal for a whole week and not get bored. The flavor from grilling foods over fire like that is just unparalleled. Plus it is so easy. And don’t even get me started on grilling veggies! UGH! Perfectly cooked veggies with just that little bit of char… omg I’m dying. So simple and primal, cooking good ingredients over fire is the best way to cook. Period. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of grill recipes coming up this summer on Sweet Poppy Seed but ironically today’s is not one of them.
The rain crashed one of our afternoon grill sessions. Wah wah. So to bring the fun indoors, we decided to go with a movie and a fancy-feeling indoor picnic food. We went with fresh heirloom tomatoes, good quality olive oil, ripe avocados and the star of the night – Burrata. This is definitely a treat for us, since we do not eat handmade Italian cheese stuffed with cream everyday. And man is it good! Paired with fresh seasonal and ripe veggies… wow! But I think burrata also pairs beautifully with sautéed mushrooms or just plain smashed avocado. You could also make tartines with burrata/pesto or burrata/cooked down red onions. For a sweet note, figs, honey and burrata. Basically, eat just about anything with burrata and you will fall in love.
Armed with our insane, out of this world tartines, we all sat on the floor surrounded by blankets and pillows, with a wildly crawling baby, some white wine and the Minion Movie. Good times, great food and feeling grateful.
Burrata and Tomato Tartines
Serves 2 but can be easily doubled.
Notes: good burrata can be found at Italian markets or select grocery stores. Around the Twin Cities, Cosetta’s is a great place for fresh burrata. Otherwise, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods sells some good stuff as well.
- Hearty crusty bread, sliced (such as peasant, miche, sourdough or wheat)
- *Burrata cheese, either 2 small ones or 1 large one
- 1 large ripe tomato
- 1 ripe avocado
- Soft butter
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice
- Parsley to garnish (optional)
Start by slicing the tomatoes and avocados. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, pepper and a squirt of lemon juice over veggies. Preheat a griddle over medium-high heat. Spread butter on the bread slices. If the slices are very large, one per person would be fine. Otherwise go for 2 each. Toast bread slices on the hot griddle for about 2-4 minutes on each side until you have a nice soft toasty crunch and grill marks. If you do not have a griddle, feel free to use the oven. Toast your bread on the middle rack of the oven, either on a sheet pan or directly on the grates, for about 10 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
Assemble tartines with avocado, tomato and burrata on top. To slice burrata, simple cut a little slit from the center of the balloon and carefully spoon cheese and cream onto each tartine. Garnish each tartine with a tiny sprinkle of salt, crack of pepper, small drizzle of good quality olive oil and a bit of parsley.
Kick your feet up, grab a class of wine and enjoy.
Originally posted 2016-05-31 05:40:39.
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