Recipes Breakfast + Brunch Breakfast Toast Avocado Toast Grilled Strawberry-Avocado Toasts with Burrata 5.0 (1) 1 Review These hulking avocado toasts with strawberries and creamy burrata are a great early summer lunch or, cut into thick slices, a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Be sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar here. By Joshua McFadden Joshua McFadden Restaurant: Ava Gene's , Roman Candle Baking Co. (Read a review) Location: Portland, OR Why He's Amazing: Because his rustic Roman pastas and meats are fantastic, but his simple vegetable iterations—like a salad of apples, walnuts, chile and lime—are mind-bogglingly good. Culinary School: Le Cordon Bleu (Portland, OR) background: Franny's (/sites/default/files/rooklyn); Lupa, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Blue Hill (New York City) Quintessential Dish: Beets, carrots, celeriac, pickled raisins and pistachio nut butter Claim to Fame: The "infamous kale salad," as he calls it, which he "introduced" at Franny's in Brooklyn. The dish of raw Lacinato kale ribbons tossed with a garlic-and-lemon dressing and topped with bread crumbs and pecorino has been written about on countless blogs and in the New York Times. Farm Living: During two years at Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman's pioneering Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine, McFadden worked his way up from apprentice to farm manager. While there, he curated weekly dinners that started with sunset cocktails in the greenhouse followed by a candle-lit meal in the produce stand. His Impression of Italian Food in Rome: "I kind of think the cuisine is incredibly honest; there's no way to hide if the pasta isn't good. Perfect pasta is perfect. To use something that is so simple and make it so wow, to make that into something someone's never had before—it's a really fun experience." Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 1, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email These hulking avocado toasts with fresh strawberries and creamy burrata are a great early summer lunch or, cut into thick slices, a crowd-pleasing appetizer. But we could truly eat this sumptuous dish any time of the day and in large quantities. Be sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar here. Photo: CON POULOS Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 6 scallions 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 Hass avocado—peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper Kosher salt Black pepper Four 1-inch-thick slices of rustic bread Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling 1 garlic clove 8 ounces burrata, cut into bite-size pieces Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling Flaky sea salt and torn basil, for garnish Directions Light a grill. Grill the scallions over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, 3 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then cut into 1-inch lengths. Leave the grill on. In a medium bowl, mix the scallions with the strawberries, avocado, lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the bread with olive oil and grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and rub with the garlic clove. Top with the burrata and the strawberry salad. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with flaky sea salt and torn basil; serve. Rate it Print