Monday, August 4, 2008

Spring Greens and Peach Salad



My grandfather farmed 40 acres and a good 1/2 of that was peaches. There is nothing like going out to the tree and checking peach after peach until you feel the perfect one, soft and sweet and fragrant and warm from the sun. And then you realize you have itchy peach fuzz over 90% of your body and red ants are stinging your feet and legs because you never wear shoes or look down. So you dance around in the dirt while you attempt to rid your self of those ants of Satan. I think when I was little I had stubbed toes, skinned knees, ant bites and mosquito bites all summer long. Those were the days. Not a care in the world. If you got thirsty you just turned on the garden hose and waited for the pincher bugs to vacate it by force of water and then drank to your hearts content. If you were hot the hose was your answer. You didn't dare go inside for fear of Grandma, who was really very sweet but felt children needed to be outside in nice weather and she was right since there was even a bathroom in the wash house. We were so totally excited to hear the sound of a car. That meant people were going to drive by the house. Yes you heard me right...drive by the house. Who cared if you knew them. You got to wave at them and that was enough. Children now days have such a complicated life. Everything needs batteries.

I have been doing too much tasting since joining Daring Bakers. Evidently the hosts prefer to pick recipes that taste really good. Can't some one choose brussel sprout and liver cookies?

Which makes me think it is time to consider more and more salads to save my tushy. This is a very simple salad and I do like lots of stuff in mine. Remember when a salad consisted of iceberg lettuce and a very bad slice of almost a tomato? Those people should be shot. Why else did God make so many yummy things if not to be creative? He must have spent years in Heaven thinking..."Will you idiots try something new? Look around, helloooo, Garden of Eden calling your taste buds."

PEACH AND SPRING MIX SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA AND CANDIED WALNUTS

4 c spring lettuce mix
3 ripe peaches
Ground pepper
4 oz gorgonzola
1/2 c walnuts
2 T butter
2 T brown sugar

In a pan melt the butter and brown sugar on med-low.
Toss the walnuts in and coat with the sweetened butter till a little caramelized.

Plate 1 cup of salad per person.
Peel and slice peaches, then grind fresh pepper over and divide on top of lettuce.
Crumble gorgonzola on top of peaches.
Sprinkle candied walnuts on top.
Drizzle dressing (see below)

WHITE BALSAMIC WITH WALNUT OIL AND ROSEMARY

3/8 c white balsamic vinegar
1/2 c walnut oil
1 T minced fresh rosemary or to your taste
Ground pepper
Good salt

In a blender, combine vinegar and oil.
Add rosemary, pepper and salt.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there!

Brussel sprout cookies! Cool! Ha-ha.

I agree salads should be beautiful, there are so many thing to put in them. This one is no exception! I love peaches in salad.

Ellen said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have an Indian Blood Peach tree. The insides are red, like a blood orange. I've done wonderful desserts with them but never thought to add them to a salad. Come September when they ripen, it will be on my list of things to try! I need to get back to more blogging. I've been remiss this summer. Do you know of http://foodblogscool.blogspot.com/? You might like it.

test it comm said...

That is a nice summer salad! I like the peach and gorgonzola combo.

Anonymous said...

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Noble...I just tasted and tasted all the parts to that cake and loved them separate and together. And yes I am going to love all of the next DB project.

Ellen...I absolutely love Blood Peaches. I think they are a cross between a peach and that big purple plum that is so juicy and almost bloody inside. How about in a fruit salad with other juicy fruits?

Kevin...Gorgonzola is so yummy with almost anything. What did you make tonight? Because yes, you cook all the time. I am so exhausted after work that I save it for my days off and that is when the fun begins.