As we eagerly await the arrival of the first chill of autumn, let us bid a fitting adieu to the salad days of summer with a glorious salad composeé by James Beard Award-winning chef Sue Zemanick of Zasu. At her celebrated Mid-City restaurant she combines masterful skill, the influence of her Slavic heritage, and fresh ingredients for a dining experience that is clean and light, yet flavorful and fully developed.
What to Drink
Tyler Malone, Bar Manager at Zasu, recommends the Grand Isle Denial. “It becomes a bridge between creamy and crisp,” Malone said. “The cocktail’s cool cucumber and basil lift the burrata’s richness, while the citrus and Pimm’s echo the vinaigrette’s bright acidity. Herbaceous notes from the Chartreuse meet the nectarine’s sweetness, and the sake’s delicate umami body keeps the pairing light and seamless like a seaside breeze brushing over summer produce.”
4
servingsIngredients
- For the salad:
2 100-gram balls of burrata cheese
3 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the Citrus Picked Pepper Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp pickled peppers, finely chopped (banana peppers or pepperoncini work well)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
- Grand Isle Denial Cocktail (makes 1):
1 1/4 oz gin
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz sake
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz cucumber-basil simple syrup
1 oz Pimm’s No. 1
Directions
- Make the Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the chopped pickled peppers, orange juice, lemon juice, zest, honey, mustard, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as desired.
- Assemble the Salad:
- On a large serving platter or shallow bowl, arrange nectarine slices evenly on a plate. Scatter the mint and basil leaves. Tear open the burrata and place in the center of the platter or distribute in spoonfuls.
- Dress and Finish:
- Drizzle the citrus pickled pepper vinaigrette over the salad just before serving. Sprinkle with flaky salt, and black pepper. Serve immediately, ideally with crusty bread.
- Grand Isle Denial:
- Add the gin, Green Chartreuse, sake, lemon juice, and cucumber–basil syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled, for about 10 seconds. Strain it into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Gently float Pimm’s on top. Garnish with a cucumber wheel and a sprig of fresh mint.
