WASHINGTON (THE WASHINGTON POST) - Just the look of this salad is enough to make you want to dig right in, does it not? It features the interplay of warm and cool, roasted and toasted, soft and crisp.
There is minimal prep work and one-pan ease for the oven-browned chunks of zucchini and tender yellow-fleshed potatoes.
I especially like the mix of different greens.
Dandelion greens, mache and basil work well here, but keep the combination of watercress, purslane and butter lettuce in mind for another time.
You do not even have to make a dressing - drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar do the trick.
ROASTED ZUCCHINI, POTATO AND BURRATA SALAD
4 servings, adapted from Dinner Made Simple: 35 Everyday Ingredients, 350 Easy Recipes, by the editors of Real Simple magazine (Oxmoor House, 2016).
Ingredients
225g burrata cheese (may substitute fresh mozzarella)
2 or 3 medium zucchini (11 to 14 ounces total)
450g small Dutch gold or Yukon Gold potatoes
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/4 cup pine nuts
About 340g mixed greens, such as watercress or dandelion, plus mache (lamb's lettuce; about 6 cups total)
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
2 Tbs sherry vinegar (may substitute red wine vinegar)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C. Let the burrata come to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, trim the zucchini, then cut crosswise into 4cm-long rounds or half-cylinders. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
2. Place the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with the salt and pepper, tossing to coat and making sure the cut sides are facing down. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. When you turn the zucchini pieces and potatoes over, they should be nicely browned on the cut sides.
3. While they are in the oven, toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, shaking it to avoid scorching, until they are fragrant and golden brown. Let cool.
4. Arrange the greens on a platter. Tear the basil leaves, letting them fall on the greens. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the roasted zucchini and potatoes and toasted pine nuts. Cut or tear the burrata, arranging dollops of the cheese around the platter.
5. Drizzle the salad with the vinegar and the remaining tablespoon of oil. Serve right away.
Nutrition | Per serving: 420 calories, 17 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 29 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fibre, 4 g sugar
