Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Appetizer

This Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Appetizer recipe is the perfect no fuss dish for a relaxing night at home or when you don't know what to bring to a friends dinner party. Honestly it's a great burrata recipe to add to your rotation if you love this cheese like I do!

These two items are something I tend to always have in my house. Ever since my local grocery store started consistently carrying burrata I can’t stop buying it! It’s probably one of my favorite cheeses in existence.

Enter this super quick and easy appetizer recipe, or in some cases it can make a great dinner too! Living in San Diego we get some pretty hot days and cooking in the traditional sense just sounds like torture, so meals like this make my life easier.

Pair it with a nice red wine and pretend you're in Tuscany! I found the original idea for this appetizer in one of my many beloved cookbooks, Extra Virgin. Pasta, pizza, bread, I love it all and the recipes from Tuscany seem to always call my name! What about you? Is there a particular region of the world that has recipes you love?

Never having visited Italy I dream of taking a trip there one day and maybe taking a cooking class, visiting some wineries and doing other super touristy things with no shame! If you’ve been there (or even live there), please tell me where I should visit on my first trip there.

In the meantime I’ll just pretend I’m on vacation in Tuscany by making food like this heirloom tomato and burrata appetizer. I hope you enjoy it as well!

What is Burrata?

Burrata cheese is similar to mozzarella but taken to a whole new level! The word burrata in Italian actually means "buttery' and after one bite you will understand why this cheese is named that way. The outside of the cheese is a thin layer of stretched cheese curd made of buffalo or cow's milk mozzarella. While inside it's filled with a buttery soft mixture of curd and fresh cream.

Serves 3 to 4 people as an appetizer

PREP TIME - 10 min PREP TIME | TOTAL TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS

2 Heirloom Tomatoes
1 pound Burrata Cheese
1 medium sized loaf or roll of Sourdough Bread
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (To Taste)
Kosher Salt (To Taste)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (To Taste)
8 or more Fresh Basil Leaves (Torn)

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by slicing the heirloom tomatoes into medium thickness slices.
Save a few for chopping into smaller pieces as a pretty garnish.
Using a large platter or plate arrange the tomatoes in a circle leaving room in the middle for the burrata cheese.
Next take out the burrata cheese (careful of the liquid that comes in the container with these, it can leak everywhere!) and place in the center of the serving platter. Use one of your thumbs to squish down on the cheese so that the inside cheese squishes out. This is probably way more fun than it should be, but it's oddly satisfying.
Then sprinkle the diced tomatoes on top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil can be deceiving so try a small amount at first and you can always add more later to your liking.
Time for the seasoning! Sprinkle the platter with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Then add the freshly torn basil leaves. You could even add a touch of spice with some crushed red peppers if you like!
For the finishing touch, slice up a fresh loaf of bread. I scored mine at a local farmer's market but you can pick one up from a bakery at your local grocery store.
Dig in! Don't forget the red wine! Cheers!

I’m really happy that you are trying out my Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Appetizer Recipe. Would love to see how it turns out for you! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @natashasfoodadventures or use my hashtag #natashasfoodadventures.