![Grilled garden vegetables with Mugello burrata, fresh herbs and oil, served outdoors at Villa Dianella](\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/vd-ricetta-agosto-grigliata-burrata-piatto-1920x0.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/p>\nGarden vegetables: August on the plate<\/h2>\n
The heart of the dish is the vegetables, and this is where August shows its best.<\/p>\n
In Villa Dianella’s vegetable garden, August brings zucchini, aubergines, peppers, spring onions, tomatoes. These are vegetables that reach full ripeness this month, with a concentrated flavour that only develops when they grow in the sun, in season, without forcing.<\/p>\n
The grill is the best way to bring them out. The live heat of the embers caramelises the vegetables’ natural sugars, creates those slightly charred edges that add depth, and concentrates the flavours by evaporating some of the water. A grilled zucchini has nothing to do with a boiled one: the first is sweet, smoky, rich; the second is watery and characterless.<\/p>\n
Each vegetable needs to be treated according to its nature. Zucchini and aubergines in thin slices, to cook quickly and take on colour. Peppers in wide strips, grilled until the skin darkens. Spring onions whole or halved, which become sweet and soft on the grill. It’s simple work but one that demands attention: the grill doesn’t forgive distraction.<\/p>\n
If the vegetables are the body of the dish, the aromatic herbs are its soul.<\/p>\n At Villa Dianella the aromatic herbs grow wild or cultivated around the estate: rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, mint, the nepitella that has always accompanied Tuscan cooking. These are scents that tell the story of the Vinci countryside better than anything else.<\/p>\n In this dish the herbs are used at two moments. During cooking, a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme are placed directly on the grill next to the vegetables, so the fragrant smoke envelops them as they cook. And at the end, a fresh mix of chopped herbs, blended with the estate’s extra virgin olive oil, is spread over the just-grilled vegetables while still hot, so the heat releases all their aroma.<\/p>\n It’s a simple dressing \u2014 oil, herbs, salt, a touch of garlic \u2014 but it turns the grilled vegetables from a simple side dish into a complete course. The scent that rises from the plate when the herb oil meets the hot vegetables is already half the experience.<\/p>\n The element that completes and elevates the dish is the Mugello burrata.<\/p>\n The Mugello is the hilly, mountainous area north of Florence, a land of pastures, woods and dairy tradition. The burrata and mozzarella produced here have a particular quality, tied to the milk of cows raised at altitude and to the artisan process still passed down in many local dairies.<\/p>\n Mugello burrata has a thin, delicate spun-mozzarella crust and a heart of stracciatella \u2014 that cream of mozzarella strands and fresh cream \u2014 particularly rich and soft. It’s fresh, milky, with a natural sweetness that contrasts perfectly with the smoky, decisive flavour of the grilled vegetables.<\/p>\n Contrast is everything in this dish. The vegetables are hot, smoky, with crisp edges. The burrata is cool, creamy, enveloping. When they meet on the plate, hot and cold, smoky and milky, crisp and soft create a balance that makes every bite different and interesting.<\/p>\n Choosing a Mugello burrata over any other isn’t a small detail: it’s the difference between a good dish and a memorable one. The quality of the milk and the craftsmanship comes through, and in a dish this simple, where the burrata takes centre stage, it makes all the difference.<\/p>\n Start by preparing the herb dressing. Finely chop the rosemary, thyme, marjoram and oregano leaves, mix them with the extra virgin olive oil, the crushed garlic clove left to infuse, and a pinch of salt. Leave to rest at room temperature while preparing the rest, so the oil takes on all the aromas.<\/p>\n Wash and cut all the vegetables. Zucchini and aubergine in slices that aren’t too thin, so they don’t fall apart on the grill. Peppers in wide strips. Spring onions whole or halved. Tomatoes in thick slices. Dress lightly with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt.<\/p>\n Heat the grill well, ideally charcoal or embers, though a cast-iron grill pan on the stove works too. When it’s hot, place the whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme directly on the grill or among the embers, so the aromatic smoke rises towards the vegetables.<\/p>\n Grill the vegetables a few at a time, without overcrowding them. Zucchini and aubergine cook quickly, just a few minutes per side until you get the classic dark grill marks. Peppers need more time, until the skin darkens and the flesh softens. Spring onions and tomatoes need watching carefully as they’re more delicate. As each is ready, remove it and arrange it on a tray.<\/p>\n Once all the vegetables are grilled and still hot, remove the garlic from the oil and spread the herb dressing over all the vegetables, mixing gently so each piece takes on the flavour. Adjust with flaked salt and black pepper.<\/p>\n Arrange the dish by placing the grilled vegetables on a serving plate or on individual plates. Set the Mugello burrata in the centre, opened just before serving. Finish with a final drizzle of herb oil, a few fresh herb leaves and a grinding of pepper.<\/p>\n Serve immediately, while the vegetables are still warm and the burrata is fresh. Bring the whole burrata to the table and let everyone open it and mix it into the vegetables, so the stracciatella spreads and binds the whole dish together.<\/p>\n A vegetable-forward, fresh and smoky dish like this calls for an equally bright and versatile wine.<\/p>\n Sereno e Nuvole, Vermentino IGT Dianella, is the most natural pairing. Its citrusy freshness and mineral sapidity go well with the smoky flavour of the vegetables and cleanse the palate from the burrata’s creaminess. It’s a wine that complements the vegetable component without ever overpowering it.<\/p>\n The ros\u00e9 All’Aria Aperta is a perfect alternative for a summer lunch or dinner outdoors. Its lightness and delicate fruity notes play well with the sweetness of the grilled vegetables and the freshness of the burrata, creating a harmonious summer pairing.<\/p>\n For those who prefer a red even in summer, a young Chianti Dianella served slightly chilled works well: the Sangiovese’s acidity balances the richness of the burrata, and the light tannins don’t overwhelm the vegetables.<\/p>\n This dish tells the philosophy of Villa Dianella’s kitchen in the most direct way. In August the vegetable garden is at its peak, the vegetables are perfect, the aromatic herbs scent the whole estate. There’s no need to invent anything: just pick, grill, and let the ingredients speak.<\/p>\n Grilled vegetables with burrata is a dish that brings together two worlds. On one side, the land of Vinci, with its vegetable garden and its herbs. On the other, the Mugello, with its mountain dairy tradition. Two different Tuscan territories meeting in a simple, balanced dish.<\/p>\n At the Bistrot delle Scuderie this dish arrives at the table with a view over the vineyards and the long August evenings. At home it’s the ideal summer dinner: light the grill, pick the best vegetables, choose a good burrata and bring it all to the table. Perfect for an outdoor dinner with friends, when the heat calls for eating light and the season offers ingredients that need nothing at all.<\/p>\n It’s proof that in summer, in Tuscany, the best cooking is the kind that respects the ingredients and lets them be what they are. The garden does the work, the grill brings it out, the burrata completes it. The rest is simply the pleasure of sitting at the table on a summer evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Villa Dianella’s August recipe: grilled garden vegetables with aromatic herbs and Mugello burrata. Summer, the kitchen garden and organic wines from Vinci.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_fp_seo_title":"","_fp_seo_meta_description":"Villa Dianella's August recipe: grilled garden vegetables with aromatic herbs and Mugello burrata. 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<\/picture><\/p>\nAromatic herbs: the scent of the estate<\/h2>\n
Mugello burrata: mountain creaminess<\/h2>\n
The recipe: grilled garden vegetables with aromatic herbs and Mugello burrata<\/h2>\n
Ingredients for 4 people<\/h3>\n
\n
Method<\/h3>\n
Pairing with Villa Dianella wines<\/h2>\n
![The grilled vegetables arrive at the table at the Bistrot delle Scuderie with a view over the vineyards](\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bistrot-dianella-galleria-10-1920x0.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/p>\nAugust at Villa Dianella: the simplicity of the garden<\/h2>\n