Roasted Peach, Tomato and Feta Salad
The summer dish you will make over and over again.
Things I’ve thought about this week:
The probe into whether Egypt’s government gave Trump’s 2016 campaign a bag filled with $10 million dollars in cash was shut down by Trump appointees as not important and yet we are still hearing about Hunter Biden’s involvement in Burisma this week on the news, even tho (checks notes) Joe Biden is not running for president.
How Trump’s ear seemed to heal so quickly, and also why someone would buy an origami kit of a bleeding ear, or a clothing patch of a bleeding ear with a bullet going through it that says: “Ear Force One.” (I pondered whether to include the image here, then thought the better of it. It’s here, if you’re brave.)
There are approximately 300 chocolate chips in a regular bag of semisweet chips.
Why one shouldn’t shop for fruit at Costco once your 18-year-old son has departed for college, unless you adopt a baby elephant or hippopotamus to mirror their eating habits.
To be fair to myself, the yellow and white peaches for sale at my local Costco have been consistently delicious, and I have been known to eat them at every meal. But earlier this week I found myself with a good problem: too many peaches, so I tweaked a favorite salad recipe of mine to create this layered salad that puts all the summer flavors in one place.
Peaches, tomatoes and onions get roasted with a touch of balsamic vinegar, then piled atop an arugula salad made with chunks of feta, olives and a heavy sprinkling of fresh mint and basil.
I have served this as a side with grilled chicken and roasted salmon, but perhaps my favorite way was over plain quinoa. It’s deeply satisfying, summery and lush.
Tips:
This makes 2 generous dinner portions (leftovers!) if you serve it with quinoa or orzo. If you serve just the roasted fruits and vegetables along with the salad, it will make enough for a side dish for 4. Feel free to divide or double the recipe.
The roasted vegetables are best served at room temperature.
Don’t like feta? Try goat’s cheese instead. Or even, and this is a bit controversial, Boursin.
You know by now that if you hate an ingredient, say, like, olives, you don’t have to add them. In the case of this salad, you should find something to replace them, to add that salty-vinegary tang the salad needs. Anything from capers to chopped pickles would work. A bit of kimchi wouldn’t go amiss either.
No rice wine vinegar? Substitute white wine vinegar.
I apologize that this recipe is full of vague ingredients, such as “1/4 of a large red onion.” I gave you the amount I used in grams, because my idea of a large onion is different from yours. Feel free with any of these ingredients to add more or less depending on how much you have and how much you like this ingredient.
Turning on the oven can be an oppressive thought in the summer, which is why I chose to use my toaster oven, which gets the job done efficiently.
Before and after roasting
Roasted Peach and Feta Salad
Serves 2 with leftovers or 4 as a side
What You’ll Need:
For the roasted fruit and veg:
2 peaches, pits removed and sliced into quarters
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 large red onion (about 100 grams), sliced into 1” (or so) pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
For the green salad portion
2 generous handfuls (about 2 cups) arugula
3.5 ounces (98 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons (or to taste) thinly sliced fresh red onion
6 to 10 olives (I used castelvetrano), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons shredded fresh mint
2 tablespoons shredded fresh Thai or Italian basil
For the salad dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey (use hot honey if you like it)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
What You’ll Do:
Make the roasted fruit and veg:
Heat the oven to 400. Line a baking pan with parchment or foil. In a medium bowl, toss the peaches, tomatoes and onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and adjust the ingredients so they aren’t all sitting cheek by jowl. We want things to roast, not steam. When they sit next to each other on the roasting pan, well, things get steamy! Roast, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the peaches are softened and the tomatoes have begun to burst. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. I like to make my salad dressing in a jar with a lid, so that I can easily shake and store any leftover dressing. You will have leftover dressing from this recipe. Add the 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, rice wine vinegar, mustard, honey and lemon juice to the jar. Tighten the lid on top and shake to emulsify. Taste and adjust accordingly.
Assemble the salad:
Toss the arugula, feta, red onion and olives with 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing.
Layer the roasted peaches and veg onto your serving platter. Top with the dressed salad. Sprinkle with the mint and basil. Serve.
What’s been on your minds this week? Do you agree with my recent discovery that kettle chips are the best kind of chip?
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Yes, kettle chips are terrific. We especially like Cape Cod brand. And, I appreciate all your politically correct comments. That’s to say that you and I share the same outlook on the political situation.
I may have to make this salad for dinner tonight!