Burrata on grilled bread with garbanzo beans, Asian pear and walnuts

Ingredients

4 cups burrata
1/2 cup cream
1 loaf crusty bread, sliced 1/4-inch thick (or thicker, depending upon preference)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 sweet Asian pear, sliced thinly into half-moons
Microgreens (optional, for garnish)

Garbanzo bean spread
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and washed
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/8 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pickled red onions
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
10 whole black peppercorns
Pinch dried oregano
2 onions, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

Directions

To get started: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a bowl and whisk, mix burrata with cream until it reaches a nice, smooth consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For bean spread: Using a blender, pulse chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and salt until a puree starts to form. Slowly add olive oil until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use. (You can substitute this with store-bought hummus, if desired.)

For pickled onions: Combine water, sugar, vinegar, peppercorns and oregano in a mixing bowl. Heat mixture in a saucepan until ingredients dissolve. Meanwhile, blanch onions in boiling, salted water for 15 seconds (this helps mellow the strong onion flavor). Let onions cool in pickling liquid.

To serve: Grill one side of a slice of bread, flip over and, while you are grilling the other side, spread with the garbanzo bean mixture. When the bread is done toasting on both sides, spread burrata atop garbanzo beans, add pickled onions, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat process with remaining slices of bread. Slice into bite-sized pieces and top with walnuts, Asian pear and microgreens, if desired.  

Serves 4 to 6