burrata, basil and tomato salad

Have you guys tried burrata yet?

The answer is probably yes -- this creamy, delicate mozzarella has been popping up on menus for the past year or two in really excellent restaurants, and it's spread like wildfire.

Which, of course, is because it's one of the best cheeses I've ever tasted. And I do not say that lightly.

I've never been much of a fan of mozzarella -- the key ingredient in a million fast food pizza places across the country has never held much of a culinary interest to me.

But burrata is something else entirely -- more like a creamy, rich cheese than a hearty mozzarella, this is worth trying even if you've never been interested in anything on the pizza spectrum. All you need are some fresh mid-summer tomatoes, and this dish is an absolute dream.

Burrata, Basil and Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 vine-ripened tomatoes

8 ounces burrata, outer layer stripped away

10 leave basil, julienned

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Slice tomatoes into 1/4" strips. Arrange two tomatoes each on two appetizer-sized plates and top with burrata. Sprinkle fresh julienne-ed basil over the salad, and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Grind sea salt and pepper over the salad and serve.

Serves 2.