Gardeners itch for spring weather to get outside and plant. Cooks like me prefer to stay inside and whip up foods loaded with classic spring ingredients and flavors: vegetables such as new potatoes, peas, and asparagus, tender chive stalks and mint sprigs as soon as they appear in the garden, followed by cilantro, on everything!
Tie all those harbingers of spring together with the bright, sunshiny lemon. Most lemons in this country come from California, where they are harvested nearly year-round—good news because this aromatic, tangy fruit can be used in abundance to lend its sweet-tart character to almost anything. Consider a tall glass of ice water with a squeeze of lemon and a gently crushed mint sprig while you cook.
Pair all that spring goodness with the timeless indulgence of rich, creamy burrata cheese and, indeed, life is good. Burrata resembles fresh mozzarella in that it is soft, fresh, and sold packed in brine. Gently remove the ball from the brine so it doesn’t split open until you are ready. Once split, the rich creamy interior will spill out of its tender mozzarella shell—perfect for scooping up with bread.
Surround the burrata balls with lemon slices that have been sautéed with aromatic coriander seeds, a bit of chile, and plenty of artichoke hearts. Drizzle all the flavorful pan liquids over the cheese, then break it open to scoop up onto sliced bread. Serve this casual appetizer with a glass of cold rosé.
Alternatively, break open a ball of burrata over a bowl full of peas, asparagus, and pasta for light, fresh springtime eating. I like to start this meal with a French 75 cocktail—fresh lemon juice, gin, simple syrup, and chilled sparkling wine—perfect sipping while we wait for the first garden daffodils and hyacinths to grace the table.
Burrata With Artichokes and Sautéed Lemons
Serves 2 to 4 as an appetizer
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced, seeded
- 1 container (8 ounces net weight) burrata (4 balls, 2 ounces each), drained
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, optional
- 1 can (14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts, well-drained
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru chile flakes or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Sliced French bread, for serving
Have a splatter guard and a serving plate near the stove. Heat oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add sliced lemon and cover with a splatter guard. Fry, turning lemon slices once, until edges are crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Use tongs to gently arrange lemon slices on the serving plate. Place burrata balls on top of lemon and let stand at room temperature while you finish the dish.
Place pan back with its remaining oil over low heat. Add garlic and coriander seed; cook until seeds pop, about 1 minute. Add drained artichoke hearts; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, salt, and pepper flakes.
Spoon the artichoke and cilantro mixture over the burrata and lemons. To serve, use a large fork to break open burrata. Pass sliced bread to mop up all the cheese and goodness.
Pasta With Burrata, Lemon, and Spring Vegetables
Blanch the asparagus in salted water for 2 minutes before adding it to the skillet.
Serves 4 to 6
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups frozen pearl onions, about 8 ounces, thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh shelled or thawed frozen sweet peas
- 6 spears asparagus, blanched, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 container (8 ounces net weight) burrata cheese, drained green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced with most of the green
- 1 tablespoon zested lemon rind or 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley or a combination
- Shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese, for serving
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain pasta and return to the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil.
While pasta cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cover with a splatter guard if you have it and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter, peas, asparagus, and garlic, Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt.
Stir vegetable mixture into cooked pasta. Break open burrata and tear it over the pasta. Add zested lemon rind. Toss to mix, adding some of the reserved cooking water if needed to loosen things up a bit. Sprinkle with pepper and herbs. Serve. Pass Parmesan.
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