I was on a roll with this Plenty More cookbook! I was making a bunch of things for a movie screening picnic in the cemetery but I also needed to eat lunch. I was thinking of taking this peach salad with us on the picnic but decided it would be better eaten immediately. For lunch.
I started off with the Ottolenghi recipe for fig salad as inspiration but because I didn’t have a lot of the ingredients on hand I made a ton of modifications. The most important thing was that I started with these amazing peaches, fresh crisp lettuce mix and super fragrant basil.
I was sort of skeptical of this recipe because it was so simple. I mean, at this point I should know better but I guess I’m still surprised when a dish comes out more than just a sum of its parts. I will also say that toasted nuts of any kind on a salad take it up a notch. Doesn’t matter what kind of nuts either. Just make sure to pop them in a hot oven until they are fragrant (watch it though because they burn fast) and then crush them or just chuck them in there whole. It adds an amazing dimension to any salad. For reals.
Delightful Recipe
Serves 2-3
Adapted from Plenty More
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium size peaches, halved, pitted and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 6 cups of mixed salad greens
- 6 large basil leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup of hazelnuts
- 1 large red onion or 2 small
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of honey (you can use agave and make this dish vegan)
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Olive oil + more for cooking
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Peel the onions, halve lengthwise (through the root) and cut each half into wedges 1 inch thick. Mix the onion wedges in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Spread the onions out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are soft and golden and crispy at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Turn down the oven to 325 degrees F and spread the hazelnuts out on another baking sheet and put them in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are fragrant. Remove them from the oven and once they are cool, coarsely chop them or crush them with the flat edge of a knife.
- In a small bowl whisk together the 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, vinegar, cinnamon, honey, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- To serve, toss the greens and the basil with 2 Tablespoons of the dressing and then divide equally among plates. Top with peaches, onions, hazelnuts and drizzle with more dressing. Serve immediately because that lettuce will wilt and get gross.
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