A dish that reflects a land of sunshine: apricot, buffalo cheese, kale, and crunchy seeds, all doused in a tangy dressing Thomasina Miers’ apricot salad with burrata, kale, and crunchy seeds. Thomasina Miers’ apricot salad with burrata, kale, and crunchy seeds. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food styling: Sunil Vijayakar Californian meals are sunshine meals: clean, crisp, and golden. Like Mexico, the nation grows bountiful fruit and greens, and it is this fresh produce that appears to outline its delicacies.
Vegan meals are all the rage on the West Coast, and you could adapt this salad by swapping the burrata for an equally creamy and scrumptious avocado. Serve as a starter or as part of a lovely alfresco ceremonial dinner—Apricot salad with burrata, kale, and crunchy seeds. If you can’t find burrata, use mozzarella tossed in a bit of olive oil and creme fraiche instead.
- Prep 30 min
- Cook 20 min
- Serves 4-6
- 8 ripe apricots halved and stones removed
- 2 tsp soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp chopped oregano or thyme leaves
- 200g kale, hard stems removed
- 2 child gem lettuces, separated into leaves
- 2 large, ripe red meat tomatoes, reduce into chunks
- 1 huge handful of mint leaves
- 4 small burrata or 2 larger ones
- For the seeds
- 200g pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp gentle brown sugar
- For the dressing
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 3-4 tsp chardonnay or other white wine vinegar
- 6 tsp gentle brown sugar
- 120ml greater-virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/ gas 6. Arrange the apricot halves to reduce facet up on a roasting tray, and sprinkle with the sugar, tablespoons of olive oil, and lots of salt and pepper. Scatter the herbs over the apricots, then roast for about 20 minutes, until golden. Lay the pumpkin seeds on a separate roasting tray, mix with the olive oil, paprika, soy sauce, sugar, and season. Roast inside the equal oven for 10-12 mins, stirring midway cooking, until nicely toasted and overestimated. Set each of the apricots and seeds aside to cool.
Meanwhile, shred the kale leaves with a big slicing knife, then placed them in a large bowl with every other tablespoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Massage the oil into the kale with your hands for three to 4 mins until it starts to wilt and soften. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, and mint leaves to the bowl. To make the dressing, mix the mustard and vinegar in a jar with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, sugar, and olive oil.
Toss the salad in the dressing, taste, then modify the seasoning with extra sugar, salt, or vinegar, as required. Arrange on one huge plate or divide between four character plates, then top with the apricot halves serving on one big plate, tear over the burrata and scatter with 1/2 the seeds (reserve the rest for all over again). If you are using individual plates, nestle burrata in many of the middles of the salad and scatter with seeds.
Serve without delay. And for the rest of the week, I love roast apricots with vanilla or saffron ice cream. Drizzle the apricots with a teaspoon of orange blossom, some vanilla sugar, and chopped pistachios earlier than roasting as above. Leftover seeds are fantastic scattered over stir-fries, pasta, or other salads for a scrumptious crunch.
