[1] Grilled romaine hearts with apples, cherries, walnuts, and feta cheese (photos #1 and #2 © Envy Apples).

[2] An Envy apple.

[3] It’s easy to grill hearts of romaine (photo © Hitchcock Farms).

[4] Use fresh pitted cherries. The photo shows are a mixture of Bing and Queen Anne varieties (photo © Washington State Fruit Commission).

[5] Walnuts are delicious on this salad, but you can substitute pecans (photo © Bake Your Day [now closed]).

[6] This recipe uses feta, but you can substitute blue cheese or goat cheese (photo © DeLaurenti).

[7] It’s easy to emulsify a vinaigrette by shaking the ingredients in a jar (photo © Colavita).

When you turn on the grill for burgers, franks, chicken, whatever, how about including a grilled salad (a.k.a. charred salad) into the “whatever?”

Over the long holiday weekend, we had the opportunity to grill romaine, which we enjoy in a grilled Caesar salad. But yesterday, we added fruit and nuts. It was a crowd-pleaser.

The recipe for this sweet and spicy grilled salad was sent to us by Envy apples. Envy is a crossbreed of Braeburn and Royal Gala apples, bred for a sweet flavor and satisfying crunch.

> The history of salad.

> The history of apples.

> The history of romaine is below.

> There are 13 more grilled salad recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the grill. Slice the apples into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

2. PIT the cherries, cut them in half and set them aside.

3. SAUTÉ the walnuts in butter until the edges are browned.

4. SLICE the romaine in half lengthwise and place on the grill. Grill romaine until char marks appear.

5. PLACE the romaine on a serving tray and top with the sautéed walnuts, feta cheese, apples, and cherries. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with optional flowers.
 
 
RECIPE #2: HONEY VINAIGRETTE
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients in a jar and shake until blended.
 
 
MORE GRILLED SALAD RECIPES

 
 
THE HISTORY OF ROMAINE LETTUCE

Romaine (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) is the most upright growing of the four major types of lettuce. It has a cylindrical shape instead of a round head like iceberg or Boston lettuces. The leaves are long and crisp with a distinctive rib down the center.

Romaine has been cultivated and eaten cooked or raw for more than 5,000 years and may very well be the oldest form of cultivated lettuce [source].

It was grown and eaten raw or cooked in China’s early history. Paintings in Egyptian tombs‡ dating from about 4500 B.C.E. show a type of lettuce with long pointed leaves, similar to romaine lettuce.

It was called Cappadocian‡‡ lettuce by the Romans, which led to its being called Roman lettuce. In Italian the translation is lattuga romana and in French laitue romaine, leading to the shortened name “romaine” [source].

In the 14th century, when the popes moved their papal residence from Rome to Avignon, France,† they grew romaine in the palace gardens. It then became known as Avignon lettuce.

When romaine arrived in England, it was called cos lettuce after the Greek island of Cos (also spelled Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates!), off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea, where the variety was said to have originated*.The first mention of cos lettuce in English dates from the late 17th century [source].

Romaine is also known as Cos lettuce in some parts of the U.S. source.

As with other dark leafy greens, the antioxidants (specifically, carotenoids) contained within romaine lettuce are believed to play roles in blocking the early stages of various cancers [source].

In terms of nutrition, romaine is the most nutritious lettuce. It has the most vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants per serving, delivering more folate, potassium, beta-carotene, and lutein [source].

Romaine is the second most important type of lettuce, iceberg lettuce being the first.
 
 
________________

*Other authorities trace cos to the Arabic word for lettuce, khus [source]. Romaine lettuce is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine [source].

†French-born Pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon in response to an increasingly fractious and political environment in Rome.

‡According to Wikipedia, for 3000 years (from at least 2700 B.C.E.), the lettuce was associated with the ancient Egyptian god of fertility, Min, for its resemblance to the phallus.

‡‡Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Burrata is a delicious first course or snack, paired with basil, tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Mozzarella Company).

[2] Burrata stracciatella. Cutting into the pocket of mozzarella cheese reveals shreds of mozzarella mixed with cream.

[3] Burrata con crema with red grapes and balsamic glaze. You can also drizzle regular balsamic vinegar, honey, or extra virgin olive oil, and can use any stone fruit.

[4] Burrata can become a vegetarian main course on top of vegetables (photo © Sid Wainer & Son | Facebook).

[5] Pizza with burrata and Parmesan cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © Casserole et Chocolat).

[6] First course or dessert: grilled peaches with burrata. Here’s the recipe (photo © DeLallo).

We love burrata, a cream-filled fresh cheese.

Burrata is a sack of mozzarella filled with a creamy center. Unlike most cheesemakers, Mozzarella Company, one of America’s great artisan cheesemakers, makes three varieties:

 
If you’re a burrata superfan (and we are!), you’ll want to order some of each for a special cheese fest.

Here’s how burrata is made, per Paula Lambert, owner of Mozzarella Company, which is based in Dallas, Texas, and sells its cheese online as well as at fine retailers nationwide.

Following this section on the production process, there are more articles and recipes below.
 
 
HOW ARTISAN BURRATA MADE

“To make our mozzarella we coagulate farm-fresh milk by adding selected bacteria (called cultures) and rennet (an enzyme that reacts with the lactic acid that is produced by the milk) so that our milk soon resembles a vat of white jello or yogurt,” says Paula Lambert.

“Once coagulated we manually pull cheese knives through the milk to cut the curd into soft, little pieces. Immediately upon being cut, a cloudy yellow liquid called whey comes out of the curds.

“Because milk is mostly liquid, eventually there is a lot of yellow whey and a smaller amount of curds. (It takes one whole gallon of milk to make just two 8-ounce balls of mozzarella.)

“When the curds are mature we stretch them in hot water using a paddle to [turn them into] a smooth and satiny mass of fresh mozzarella.

“This is where the art of cheesemaking comes into play because there is only a small window of opportunity during which the curd can be successfully stretched and formed.

“Since the development of the lactic acid cannot be stopped. If the cheese is stretched before the pH reaches 5.2, the cheese is tough and inferior. If the pH falls too low, we have lost the batch of cheese completely.

“Next we pinch off a piece of fresh mozzarella that we stretch to become a flat disc. Then we fold it into a beggar’s purse* and fill it with creme fraiche [for burrata con crema].

“We seal the burrata by squeezing the mozzarella. Finally, we toss [the balls] into cool water to chill.

“Once chilled, the balls are packaged in governing liquid (water) which helps to maintain their shapes while keeping them very moist.

“Our burratas stay fresh for about 3 weeks. They can also be frozen and later defrosted in the refrigerator.”
 
 
ORDER YOUR BURRATA

> Head to the Mozzarella Company website.
 
 
MORE ABOUT BURRATA

> An overview of burrata cheese.

> The history of burrata cheese.

> The history of cheese.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.
 
 
BURRATA RECIPES

Burrata is one of those treats that can be served for breakfast with toast, with lunch, or with dinner.

Or, serve it when you kick back with a glass of wine, perhaps with these crostini recipes).

The simplest way to serve burrata is on a plate with some crusty bread, sliced heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of fine olive oil. It’s a variation of Caprese Salad.

Just as easy: Place a burrata half or quarter atop a green salad, a fruit salad, or a bowl of pasta.

Some recipes:

 
 
________________

*Beggar’s purse (a.k.a. crêpe purse) is a shape used for dumplings, filled pasta, and other filled foods. They are called sacchette, sacks, in Italian. The shape got its name from a pouch-shaped form of the alms purse worn on the belt and containing the money. See photo #7 below.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

One of our friends is making red, white, and blue cake pops. But we’re making a very easy—and impressive—red, white, and blue sundae (photo #1).

There’s no better “win” than finding a recipe for a dramatic dessert that can be assembled quickly.

For more July 4th treats, check out these recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, and drinks.

> The history of the July 4th holiday.

> The history of ice cream.

> The history of the ice cream sundae.
 
 
RECIPE: JULY 4TH SUNDAE
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SCOOP the ice cream into dishes. You can scoop it in advance and place the balls on a cookie sheet in the freezer until you’re ready to assemble. Cover them with plastic wrap.

2. DRIZZLE some purée and add a few pieces of fruit on top of the ice cream.

3. TOP the ice cream with whipped cream. The photo of the sundae shows a lot of whipped cream.

If you want to pile it high, we recommend stabilized whipped cream, which won’t collapse.

As you layer the whipped cream…

4. DRIZZLE some purée between the “layers” of whipped cream.

5. GARNISH with blueberries and raspberries. Serve.
 
 
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] A red, white, and blue sundae (photo © Saraghina Caffe | Brooklyn | Instagram).

[2] Last year we bought vanilla iced cupcakes and added fresh blueberries and raspberries (photo © Go Bold With Butter).

[3] With a bit more effort, you can buy a pound cake loaf, slice it, and fill it with whipped cream and berries (photo © The Baker Chick).