Neil Kwon owns Biergarten in Koreatown (206 N. Western Ave., LA). He infuses Korean flavors into traditional bar fare. He uses Korean shiso from Coleman Farms in his sliders.
Amelia Saltsman is the author of The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook. She adopted an Elberta peach tree at the Masumoto Family Farm in Fresno. With her bounty, she is making a peach and burrata salad with basil and toasted nuts. You can also hear Amelia on the PieCast, where she talks about her Elberta Peach Galettes.
Elberta Peach and Burrata SaladYou can use any fresh cow’s milk cheese for this simple dish.
3 large Elberta peaches
1 pound burrata or fresh mozzarella
Several sprigs of Italian basil
A good salad salt, such as Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Roasted salted pistachios or almonds, optional
Peel peaches using a paring knife (if the fruit is ripe, the skin should pull away easily). Or, plunge peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to release skins. Spoon burrata onto 6 salad plates. Cut peaches into nice slices and arrange on and around the cheese, being sure to include any juices. Tear basil and scatter over salads. Season with salt and pepper. Top with nuts, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
© 2010, Amelia Saltsman.
Jeff Rieger and his wife are Penryn Orchard Specialties. They grew a number of Asian pear varieties, which are available at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market.