Tomato, melon and red chilli salad with burrata

I love burrata and find every opportunity to indulge in the creamy cheese. The Italian cheese originated in the 1920s in the southern Italian Murgia territory (part of the Apulia region), in the outskirts of Andria, under the shade of a castle. Burrata has a soft mozzarella pouch that is filled with sweet cream. The process is complex and arose in the 1920s when there was no refrigeration. The cream also covers the outside of the cheese and the soft vine leaves that the cheese traditionally was wrapped in also help preserve the cheese. More on the history and making of this cheese is here.

The chilli peppers used here are the oil-cured Calabrian peppers, but you can use the milder pepperoncini chillies or regular oil-cured chillies, not the vinegar-brined chillies. Make sure they are cut into very fine dice before you add them.

This is an unusual salad with roots in Italy. The salad is beautiful, especially with summer tomatoes when they are bursting with flavour. The melons add a lovely burst of sweetness and the chillies a pop of spice. The salad is brought together with the creamy burrata, it binds the flavours together. This is a salad I can have often.

This book is one of my favourites to go to for a variety of vegetarian recipes. The chef's twists on vegetables want me to cook the entire book, we will get there eventually. Each recipe has been fabulous, with the wonderful combination of ingredients and the perfect recipes to highlight each vegetable, this is a cookbook I should be cooking from the everyday.

For more recipes from this cookbook click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb tomatoes, a mix of coloured and heirloom

1 lb melon, cut into 1/2 wedges

1/2 cup Italian Calabrian hot peppers in oil, chopped, or to taste. Can use pepperoncini

A small handful of basil, roughly torn + more for garnish

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, the good stuff

1 ball burrata

Mix the salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and olive oil to get an emulsion. Set aside.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the larger tomatoes into small pieces. Toss with the melon wedges, chillies and basil.

When you are ready to serve the salad, add the burrata ball to the centre of the bowl. Add the tomato basil mix around the burrata and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with some basil. Serve immediately.