Summer Pleasures: Grilled Squash w/ Burrata & Olive Puree


I swear I could eat this everyday of my life.

If I lived in Southern Italy, I probably would. I would buy local burrata (that gorgeous creamy liquid center mozzarella cheese) and grill up my squash freshly picked from my garden, and become a real Italian mama.

This is Italian summer eating at its best. Though the recipe is oddly from a French restaurant in Paris.

The recipe calls for slicing the freshest picked young zucchini and yellow squash and laying it on top of buffalo mozzarella on top of an olive puree, which the chef makes by grating each olive with a microplane zester.

Then he makes it French by sprinkling Piment d'Espelette on top (a hot pepper powder from the Basque region of France).


Ok. I decided I was going to be a chef and grate each olive by hand with the microplane.

Ridiculous.

After olive #3, I pureed them in my mini chopper and got the same results. Come on now.


I also decided to grill my zucchini slices for a sweeter taste, and am glad I did, I am not a big fan of raw squash.

I bought a nice Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, that believe it or not, Trader Joe's carries for $6.99. It has a short shelf life, because it's flown in from Italy, so use it quickly.


I served this with toasted bread, drizzled with olive oil (what else?) and a great bottle of Verdicchio.

Lunch is served.


Mozzarella w/ Summer Squash & Olive Puree (adapted from Food & Wine)

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped in a food processor
1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into wedges
1 small zucchini, very thinly sliced
1 small yellow squash, very thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
piment d'Espelette or hot paprika, for sprinkling

Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into thin long slices. Lay them in a shallow dish and drizzle some olive oil on top. Season with kosher salt.

Grill on medium heat for a few minutes on each side until they have grill marks and look done.

In a mini processor, puree the olives. Strain the puree through a fine sieve; you should have about 1/4 cup.

Spread the olive puree on plates and arrange the mozzarella wedges and grilled zucchini and squash slices on top.

Drizzle olive oil over the cheese and sprinkle with salt, white pepper and piment d'Espelette.


Serve with crusty bread and enjoy summer!

Pin It

Comments

The JR said…
I wish Trader Joe's would come to Mississippi.

I don't like raw squash either.

I do love cheese....just about any kind and olives....could eat them with every meal.
Mister Meatball said…
My kinda lunch!

Any day.
Anonymous said…
We cheat on this recipe...using a bottled dressing of Newman's and marinate for a bit. Grilled Z is most excellent served hot off the grill or leftovers are tasty in a salad or sandwich. Thanks Stacey, your food always looks so tasty and inviting!
Susan..... said…
Maybe a sneak in of thinly sliced prosciutto?
First time I had burrata was at Becco and was over roasted rapini on toast. This sounds just as good but will have to settle for a ball of fresh buffalo, only burrata I can find is pre-packed and I'm wary of eating any mozzarella like that.
I am making a grilled marinaded zucchini fettuccine from F&W tonight. We must be reading the same magazine.
Dana said…
I could eat that everyday too - with your changes. Grating olives? No thanks! Good to know the Trader Joe's burrata is good. I've been skeptical but that is a great price! I think I'm making this this weekend!
Joanne said…
I could totally eat this every day also!! I need to check out that TJ's burrata...sounds like a steal!
Ciao Chow Linda said…
That's dangerous knowledge knowing I can get that burrata at TJ's.
Anonymous said…
Gotta give it to the Trader's. There's some construction action in an empty store in the little local shopping area by my train station. Instead of asking my neighbors what's going in there, I lullaby myself to sleep fantasizing that soon I'll have my very own Trader Joe's WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. A girl can dream, can't she?
Ann from Illinois said…
I want to try this and keep my summer alive....especially since I just came back from Provence and it looks like a dish from there, too.
Burrata? In the Montana countryside? But I have everything else....going to make today for lunch. Loved the image of grating each olive.
Marie said…
That looks wonderful.