I couldnβt resist those pretty peaches at the farmers market last week. Big and rosy-cheeked, the peaches were a freestone variety. I bought a dozen with no clear idea on how Iβd use them.
I could make a pie or a cobbler, of course. Many years of living in the Deep South makes peach cobbler top-of-mind for me, but I wasnβt really in the mood for such a sweet, sticky dish. Furthermore, I had no interest in turning on the oven, so that ruled out peach pie, peach crisp, and peach slumps and buckles and grunts as well.
In long-ago years, my mother made peach chutneys to serve as a sideboy at her curry dinners; we also put her chutney on sandwiches and used it as a spread for crackers and so on. But gosh, peach chutney requires a lot of hands-on attention. The thought of canning chutney also made me swoon and fan myself in dismay.
Once upon a time, I made pint after pint of pickled peaches for my husbandβs delectation. He could put away a pint at a time, smacking his lips with delight as he fished them out of the jar. The pickled peaches were finicky to prepare, but we do such things for love. I donβt really care for pickled peaches and havenβt made them since we parted ways.
I donβt eat much in the way of jam and preserves these days, so peach jam seemed like a waste of those pretty peaches. And again, the canning. In this heat?
I ate a few of the peaches out of hand, remembering the peach tree in our backyard when I was growing up. Iβd climb up into that tree to pick as many peaches as I could eat, rubbing their fuzz off on my cut-offs. What a luxury that was, although at the time I took it for granted.
I also ate some over a couple of days for breakfast with cream, picturing my grandmother Mather as she served me peaches and cream for breakfast on sweltering summer mornings.
With the remainder of the peaches mocking me from the countertop, I had to figure out how to use them up.
I recognize that a food writerβs larder tends to be supplied with edibles that might not be part of your refrigerator rotation. But as I took stock of what I had on hand, an idea began to form.
There was the last of the fresh basil and fresh mozzarella that Iβd bought to use in a caprese salad. I even had a little left of the balsamic reduction Iβd made for that salad.
There was a package of Nova lox β cold-smoked salmon, sliced paper-thin β that Iβd been saving for some special dish. I must be careful with that kind of smoked salmon; once I open the package, itβs quickly eaten, piece by lovely piece.
And there on the counter, next to those insolent remaining peaches, was a red onion.
A salad, then. It hit every button: no cooking, so no turning on ovens; no standing over a hot stove; no complicated prep.
I was surprised by the saladβs complex flavors. Sweetness from the peaches and the balsamic reduction; salty and smoky from the salmon; rich with dairy from the mozzarella; a licorice bite from the basil juxtaposed against the peppery bite of the red onion.
Altogether, it was a most satisfying supper. Perhaps it will be for you, too.
Peach salad with
smoked salmon,
fresh mozzarella,
red onion, basil
Makes about 4 servings
Choose either cold-smoked or hot-smoked salmon for this recipe. Cold-smoked salmon is generally sold already thinly sliced; hot-smoked salmon is commonly sold in one piece, but itβs easy to break into pieces.
If you have the grill going for something else, itβs nice to grill the peach halves, cut side down, until theyβre nicely marked and then cut the halves into wedges.
Ingredients
3 to 4 ripe peaches, halved, stones removed
1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed, then torn into pieces
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut in half and then thinly sliced into half-moons
8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced, or broken into pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Cut the peach halves into wedges and place them in a large bowl. If your peaches are large, cut the wedges in half crosswise. Add the basil, mozzarella, red onions and smoked salmon.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake the olive oil and vinegar together to form a dressing. Pour over the peach mixture and toss the salad. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to four hours or serve within two hours at room temperature.
