“Small bites” or Tapas-style dishes are really popular in Spain. Here in Orlando, I’ve noticed new Tapas wine bars popping up everywhere. I was checking out one of these wine bars near my house. I looked over their menu, and the dish that caught my eye was the Burrata with Peaches. I left there and headed right to my grocery store. This time of year, fresh peaches are not in season. The next best option is frozen. Listen, don’t be afraid to use frozen fruit; they’re a great substitute when you can’t find fresh.  Frozen fruit and berries are picked at the peak of freshness and are delicious.

I’m going to show you that using peaches and burrata, along with a few added ingredients, makes the perfect salad. Burrata with Peaches complement each other so well that it blows my mind.

A unique ingredient I’m using in this dish is the Goji berry. Now, these berries can be found at Whole Foods Markets, where they offer unique and organic nuts and berries. It’s best to store Goji berries in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life. The Goji berry is packed with antioxidants and is a great addition to any salad. You could, of course, substitute fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, even a few pistachios, whatever you like.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: Overnight
Total Time: 1 day 5 minutes
Yields: 2 servings
Equipment: 1 large mixing bowl, colander, Microplane, 2 salad plates, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients for Two Servings:
1 16-ounce package of frozen Dole peaches, thawed

14 peaches, 7 peach wedges per plate
1 cup of baby arugula leaves, 1/2 cup per plate
2 tablespoons of Goji berries (substitute fresh blueberries or dried cranberries), per plate
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (optional) per plate
2 teaspoons of lemon zest,  1 teaspoon per plate
A spritz of fresh lemon juice (1 wedge of lemon juice) per plate
2 tablespoons of honey, 1 per plate
2 (4-ounce) balls of Burrata cheese, 6 tablespoons per plate
kosher salt to taste, per plate
black pepper to taste, freshly-ground per plate

Instructions:
The night before, fill a bowl with your frozen peaches. Let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the peaches into a bowl the next day.

Arrange 5 to 7 peach wedges on a salad plate, in a star-like formation. Next, add tablespoons of Burrata cheese over the top of the peaches. Add grated lemon zest, letting the zest flakes fall where they may. Gently drop the berries all over the dish so they nestle among the peaches and Burrata. Then add the delicate baby arugula leaves. Finally, sprinkle with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a drizzle of honey. When you’re ready to serve, squeeze a wedge of lemon juice over the top.

Light and delicious.

There you have it, my Burrata with Peaches is another example of how using really good ingredients makes all the difference in the world.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.