About the Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
1 1/2 cups perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small zucchini, cut into ribbons
1 tbsp cold-pressed virgin canola oil
2 pinches sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Vinaigrette
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup Venturi-Schulze balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey
2 cups canola oil (this will mane much more than needed but it will keep in the fridge for weeks.)
Walnut dukkah
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked pepper
To finish
1/2 cup high-quality bocconcini or burrata (we source from Tanto Latte in Kelowna)
5 leaves fresh basil
Preparation
Gently toss salad ingredients together in a bowl and allow to marinate at room temperature while making the dressing and garnishes.
Blend all vinaigrette ingredients together in a Vita-Prep or blender. Set aside. (Unused dressing will last for a few weeks and is delicious on burgers, roasted salmon, tofu and roasted or grilled vegetables.)
In a dry pan on medium-low heat, toast the nuts, seeds, coriander and pepper until fragrant and starting to turn golden brown. Let cool, add salt and pulse together in a food processor until just chopped. The dukkah should still have a crunchy texture – think the size of rice grains.
Use a slotted spoon to place marinated vegetables into a serving bowl. (use a fork to twirl the zucchini ribbons for aesthetics, if desired.) Top with a generous spoonful of the tomato vinaigrette, followed by your fresh Italian cheese of choice. Top the salad with the dukkah, using it as a seasoning for the cheese in particular. Using your hands, tear the basil leaves and scatter over the salad to finish.