GRILLED PEACH & PLUM SALAD W/ A HONEY-LEMON VINAIGRETTE

So one of my absolute favorite things about living in Georgia is the peaches. Georgia peaches are unlike any other peach. I just love them. One of my favorite things to do with peaches is grill them. Grilling them really brings out their flavor and caramelizes their sugar. I eat them for dessert along with a little ice cream and I eat them on salads...

About this salad... It's just summer on a plate and reminds me of something I would serve with a little Rosé at a table full of my closest friends. I simply cut a few fresh peaches in half and grilled them on my indoor cast iron grill. They were ripe, but not too ripe (peaches that are too ripe will just fall apart on the grill). To make the salad a little different, I also grilled some black plums. I ate tons of plums from our backyard plum tree as a child, so adding them to this salad added a personal and sweet touch. I used a little goat cheese for tang, some store-bought caramelized walnuts for crunch, and topped it off with a homemade honey-lemon vinaigrette. It's just a sweet, fresh salad that is the epitome of summer... 

Here is what you need and what to do:

Salad

Mixed greens
3 ripe, yet firm peaches, cut in half or quartered
2 plums, quartered
Goat cheese, crumbled (feta works, too)
Walnuts, toasted or caramelized
Freshly ground black pepper

Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Add the ingredients for the dressing to a jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it up. Set aside.

2. Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Brush the grill with a little olive oil. Add the peaches skin side up and grill until the flesh is caramelized and slightly softened - about 8-10 minutes. Do the same to the plums. Set them aside to cool.

3. Add the greens to a large bowl or platter. Top the greens with the cheese, walnuts, and cooled peaches and plums. Dust the salad with a little freshly ground black pepper. Add the dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!

Images by me