One of the best things about summer is that stone fruits are in season. Peaches are my favourites. Yellow or white flesh, it doesn’t matter. I love snacking on them and making desserts or savouries. Summer is truly making its presence felt in Sydney. Days like these, my to go to meals are salads. Light and yet filling. Here is a favourite to make – peaches, baby rocket leaves, goat’s cheese and toasted walnuts. Chargrilling peaches is a fantastic way to enhance the sweetness of the fruit. Grilling elevates it from a humble snack to a more interesting dessert or salad ingredient. If I want to make a decent meal out of it, I serve it with sourdough bread slices and some cold meat slices like prosciutto, bresaola or even salami. A simple dressing mix of extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses and verjuice adds light balance of sweet and tart flavours. Now, here’s something I like drizzling on charred peaches – lavender honey. I love the subtle flavour of lavender with the sweet charred peaches. It just gives another layer of deliciousness to the salad.
Ingredients
- 3 peaches ( yellow and white varieties), halved, stone removed
- sourdough bread slices
- 150g goat’s cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 tablespoon verjuice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 150 g cold meat ( bresaola, prosciutto or salami)
- 2 tablespoons lavender honey ( regular honey is fine if you don’t have lavender honey)
- 100 g baby rocket leaves
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- black pepper, to season
Method
- Heat a barbecue or grill pan over high heat. Brush peach halves with oil and chargrill for 2 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
- Wipe barbecue or grill pan with paper towel. Lightly brush sourdough with olive oil on both sides. Grill for 1 minute on each side or until charred. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix olive oil, verjuice and pomegranate molasses. Stir well to combine.
- Spread goat’s cheese on sourdough slices. Arrange a couple of slices on serving platter. Top with charred peaches, rocket leaves, cold meat slices and walnuts. Drizzle with mixed dressing.
- Drizzle the honey on peaches.
