Basil, Burrata, and the Last Salads of Summer

Labor Day is behind us. Summer, the official version, is over. Just don’t tell the basil. It’s still going strong, at farmers’ markets and in the pots on my terrace. If I could choose just one flavor to extend the longest, brightest days of the year, this would be it. The evocative, familiar fragrance of the soft herb is the embodiment of summer, but shorter days do not spell its end. Now, if there is one constant to my menus, it is an ever-evolving riff on a famous salad that basil defines: the caprese. These last salads of the season may feature the traditional mozzarella, but I often use creamier burrata, and sometimes heretical feta. But there is always basil. Sweet green, purple, tiny, or Thai.

There is time. Eat basil while you can. (And you’ll need a watermelon for the basil and burrata recipe at the end.)

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

What makes an insalata di caprese (mozzarella, tomato, basil) a classic is its sumptuous austerity. It’s a combination of ingredients whose contrasting and complementary qualities are genius in their simplicity. Juicy, sweetly acid tomatoes, the soft cheese, the bitterly fragrant leaves of basil. A slick of olive oil, a shower of salt, and black pepper, for the reckless. The basic version can be exquisite, or awful. It’s as good as your ingredients. And if they are truly of the season, this salad’s supple framework allows you to improvise. Wonderfully.

In my farmers’ market and forage-inspired versions of the caprese salad, seasonally shifting fruits and vegetables (and vegetable-fruits) provide contrast for the soft cheese, whether it is fall-apart creamy burrata, sliceable mozzarella, or assertive feta. I am looking for softness, for crispness, for a touch of sweet, and sour, and salt—and for fragrance. Preferably all in one mouthful.

Tomato is a fruit. So why not deploy fruit-fruit, like cherries, peaches, and figs (yes, we know they are actually modified flowers), in a caprese? Pinches of good salt and freshly cracked black pepper offer an essential savory counterweight to the fruits’ sweetness.

When I add seasonal fruit to these salads, I often add a layer of flavor by pickling the slices (or whole berries) for 30 minutes or less in a 100% vinegar brine seasoned heavily with salt and sugar, or honey. This gives serious dimension to the salad, the edges of acidity softened by the fruit’s inherent sweetness and softness. The left-over pickling liquid can be used later for salad dressings, drinks, marinades, and braising.

Even the smallest of gardens is able to provide fresh-picked soft herbs for salads that speak not just to the season, but to the moment.

Watermelon and Basil Salad with Burrata

For peak watermelon season and ready in under 5 minutes (or as quickly as you can slice your watermelon and tear open your burrata), this exceptionally refreshing, simple salad is deeply rewarding to eat: Pillowy and crisp, creamy and sweet, and the pungent, sweet basil moderating every mouthful.

• 1 thick slice watermelon cut into cubes or wedges (substitute cantaloupe if you like)
• 1 ball burrata
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• A large pinch of sea salt or rock salt
• A generous shower of freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

If your watermelon has hard seeds, prick them out with the tip of a knife. Arrange the chunks or wedges on a serving plate. Sprinkle the sherry vinegar across the fruit. Season with salt. Gently break apart the burrata and place the cheese atop the watermelon. Tuck tufts of basil into any available cranny. Pour the olive oil across the salad and season everything generously with pepper.

See also:

• How Many Tomatoes Does It Take to Fill a Canning Jar?
• Gardening 101: Basil
• Garden-to-Table Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes from a Cook’s Garden