Recipe of the week

“We all love a tomato salad paired with rich, creamy burrata, but the wait for tomatoes to come into season can be frustrating,” said Chandra Ram in Food & Wine. The spring salad below swaps in strawberries, amplifying the berries’ “tart-sweet flavors” with a quick soak in a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Burrata, a soft cow’s milk cheese, will be creamy and soft at room temperature. Toasted pine notes “add a little nutty crunch,” and the marinated strawberries “pair nicely with the peppery arugula and fresh basil.”

Strawberry burrata salad

1∕3 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1∕3 cup balsamic vinegar • 1 tbsp honey • 1 lb strawberries, trimmed and halved • ¼ cup pine nuts • 5 oz baby arugula • ¼ cup small basil leaves • 1 (8-oz) ball burrata, room temperature • kosher salt and cracked black pepper • crostini for serving

• Preheat oven to 300. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey in a medium bowl until emulsified. Add strawberries to bowl, toss to coat with dressing, and let marinate 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, spread pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, shaking pan occasionally so nuts toast evenly. Let nuts cool before using.

• Toss arugula and basil together and strew across a platter. Place burrata in center, and gently break open at top, to expose cream and mozzarella inside. Spoon macerated strawberries and dressing over arugula. Scatter pine nuts on top, season with salt and pepper, and serve with crostini. Serves 4.