Happy sunflower day! Our sunflower collapsed under its own weight several weeks ago. The National Sunflower Association (NSA) has a brief history of sunflowers on their site. Native to North America, sunflowers were grown in Europe around the time of the French Revolution for ornamental value. By 1830, Russia was the leader in sunflower cultivation for oil. Thanks to the International Sunflower Association, we may all aspire to the V.S. Pustovoit Award, “the highest honour conferred to individuals working in the Sunflower Industry.”

For sunflower day, I riffed on a dish we had recently at Monteverde. It combines tomatoes and peaches, both in season at the same time. Monteverde added sesame seeds to their dish, so I’ve substituted sunflower seeds here. It’s delicious!

Tomato Salad with Sunflower Seeds 

3 heirloom tomatoes (or several cherry tomatoes of different colors)

1 ball of burrata

1 small peach

handful of croutons

2 tbs sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp za’atar

4 basil leaves

First, toast the sunflower seeds for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the za’atar to the warm seeds. Slice the tomatoes and peach thinly and arrange on a plate. Spread the burrata around and pour olive oil over it all. Add the sunflower seeds, croutons and basil. Finish with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!