Tomato Leaf Pesto, California Burrata & Roasted Tomato Toast

Tomato Leaf Pesto:

Add all the ingredients into a food processor except for the oil.

Pulse the ingredients to start to break them up and begin to stream in the olive oil. Continue to process until smooth. Set aside.

Burrata:

Divide the burrata into 24, 1 oz balls.

Taking a food injector syringe, inject 1.5 oz of the tomato leaf pesto into each burrata ball. Do this until all 24 burrata balls have pesto.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes:

In a heavy-bottomed pan or roasting pan, add the tomatoes, oil, soy sauce and garlic. Season with salt and pepper

Roast at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are browned and beginning to become tender.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Micro Arugula:

Toss the arugula, lemon juice, oil and salt in a bowl until well incorporated. Set aside.

Plating:

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and drizzle a small amount of oil into the pan. Add 1 piece of sliced bread and allow to brown on each side 1-2 minutes.

2. Place the toast onto the center of a plate and drizzle with 2 Tbsp Tomato Leaf Pesto.

3. Add 1/4 -1/2 c Roasted Grape Tomatoes (depending on the width of the bread).

4. Slice 1 piece of Burrata in half and put the cheese over top of the tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle a small amount of Micro Arugula over the top, and add some torn basil leaves as desired.

6. Garnish with oil and freshly cracked pepper

Chef Notes: I prefer pure olive oil for the pesto instead of extra virgin as it can sometimes be bitter tasting in recipes. Use whichever you prefer.

Servings: 24

Recipe courtesy of Chef Chris Aquilino, Elior NA, for the California Milk Advisory Board