Fava Bean and Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini with Burrata and Basil

What better way to celebrate America's independence than with great food, poolside hanging, wine, and watching fireworks on the roof? Monday's potluck was one of our best to date and of course it was made a million times better by the awesome food my friends made. Of course I didn't show up empty handed. These crostini were my sole contribution to the feast. The roasted tomatoes are juicy and bursting with sweetness and are lovely with the creamy burrata and fava beans. The original recipe suggests that if you can't find favas, green peas are an acceptable substitute. Luckily, I live in Los Angeles where almost anything is available and it was easy for me to find favas at the farmers market. Shelling them by hand was not so fun, but it was a small price to pay. Check out some of the other goodies we indulged in that day.

Peach, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Salad



S'Muffins!



Watermelon and Feta



Summer Berry Trifle




Fava Bean and Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini with Burrata and Basil
(Adapted from Refinery 29)

1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound fresh fava beans, shelled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if they are large tomatoes)
3 tablespoons basil, julienned
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound Burrata, sliced 1/2-inch thick

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes on each side until the bread is crisp and toasted. Remove the bread from the pan.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Spread the tomatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are bursting and slightly blistered. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and boil for about 2 minutes or just until they float to the top. Place the fava beans in an ice bath and once they have cooled, remove the thick outer coating from the beans.

To make the crostini, top each slice of bread with a slice of burrata. Top the burrata with some of the tomatoes and fava beans. Sprinkle the basil over the top. If desired, you can drizzle more oil over the top of each crostini.

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