Grilled Peach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
The 4th of July in the mountains was beautiful as I mentioned in my previous post. Although there were no fireworks due to the wildfires the weather was cool and sunny. Besides having BBQ Ribs for dinner I also prepared a wonderful salad of Grilled Peaches, Arugula, Candied Almonds, and Goat Cheese with a Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette. Honestly, this could have been all I had and I would have been satisfied.
Days before leading up to the 4th I stopped off at the Silverthorne Outlets in Silverthorne, Colorado just about 15 minutes from Breckenridge. I always have fun shopping there with all the great designer outlets, like Polo, LeCreuset, Coach, Nike, among many others. On this trip a new store had opened just across from LeCreuset that I loved, called Olive Fusion. Apparently there’s one in Breckenridge but I didn’t see it.
Olive Fusion is similar to Vom Fass in St. Louis, a store that I’ve mentioned in a previous post. Only Olive Fusion carries Olive Oils, Vinegars and Salts. Of course, I spent an hour sampling all the luscious vinegars and oils.
Knowing that I had planned to grill up some peaches I debated on their peach vinegar with other oils, but then tried the Pure Maple Balsamic Vinegar and was in 7th heaven. OMG this stuff could be a beverage it’s that good. I tried pairing it with their butter olive oil which was delicious but covered up that superior maple flavoring. So instead I went with their Arbosana Olive Oil, mild and smooth and blended perfectly with the maple vinegar.
To go with it I purchased their Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, a nice addition to the dressing and very healthy. If you’ve never tried Himalayan Sea Salt you might be enlightened to read about all it’s health benefits – plus it tastes great.
I recommend if you love oils and vinegar’s like I do to check out Olive Fusion online or if you’re visiting Colorado. I’ll stop my rambling and share my recipe for Grilled Peach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Grilled Peach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
serves 4
Ingredients:
2 firm peaches
Arugula
4 oz container of crumbled Goat Cheese
Candied Almonds (use this recipe and replace with whole almonds)
Pure Maple Vinaigrette (Olive Fusion or other)
Arbosana Olive Oil (or other mild olive oil)
Himalayan Sea Salt
Directions:
Prepare Candied Almonds in advance. Store in a zip lock baggie until ready to use, if you don’t eat them all up at once.
Rinse peaches and pat dry. Cut into wedges and rub with olive oil. Place on a preheated grill and grill on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until tender and nice grill marks appear. Remove from grill and set aside.
Rinse arugula and spin dry, then set aside until ready to use.
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
6 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Maple Balsamic Vinegar
Typically I add a touch of Dijon mustard to help to emulsify the dressing along with a bit of honey or sugar. However, this tastes so incredibly delicious that I didn’t want to mask the flavor with anything else. Feel free to doctor it of course anyway you choose, but I love it just this simple.
Combine olive oil and vinegar and whisk together. Pour over salad.
To Plate:
Lay a mound of Arugula onto a chilled salad plate. Set grilled peaches angled up like a spoke around the arugula. Scatter Candied Almonds and Goat Cheese over the top. Drizzle with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette and sprinkle with Himalayan Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper.
Serve.
ENJOY!
Hi, I’m Vicki Bensinger! I have been teaching culinary classes throughout Missouri since 1992. I offer personalized private culinary classes for individuals and small groups in the comfort of your home or organization.
Beautiful salad Vicky. I am trying very hard to eat more salads this week. I’ve bought a few new pairs of size AU8 jeans and so need to lay off the carbs!
Thank you Cass. I hope if you try this recipe you enjoy it. Thank you for your comment.
Yum! I found beautiful peaches at the farmers market last night, thanks for the inspiration;-)
You’re welcome. The peaches taste incredibly sweet after grilling. I think you’ll like this recipe. Thank you for your comments
This salad looks lovely my friend, I adore the flavour of peaches in salad 😀
The vinegar être looks lovely too!
Cheers
CCU
Then you will love them when they’re grilled. Enjoy!
Thank you for your comments.
wow it looks great and fresh!
I think it’s delicious and yes it’s very fresh and satisfying. I hope you’ll try it. Thank you for your post.
Grilled fruits have such great flavor, and there are tons of local peaches in the store at the moment. Great looking recipe. Alas, the only thing I can replicate is being able to eat it with that gorgeous mountain view in the background!
It is beautiful although today it’s storming and chilly. I wore a sweatshirt while walking the dogs for an hour. Yes I know, I’m rubbing it in. Sorry!
Vicki, it’s amazing you’ve had wildfires and here we think we’re going to be washed out on the 14th July Bastille celebrations in France with the perpetual rain! There’s only one solution: eat the best ingredients and you have it to a fine art here. Peach salad already a super idea and with a super dressing – thanks for bringing on the sunshine!
We are far from the fires and I believe most of them have finally died down. Thanks for your comments.
I’m smiling from ear to ear right now. I have everything for this ingredients and I have been meaning to try grilling peaches (and of course forget about it). Will prepare this salad this weekend! Can’t wait. Hope peaches will be kept firm…
If the peaches aren’t very firm you can still grill them but just watch the time so they don’t get mushy. Hope you enjoy this salad.
I’ve seen pitches on the market, and grilled fruits sound delicious. Your salad is so colorful. I want to eat more healthy during the holiday period, as I can find all fresh vegetables and fruits around. Thanks for an interesting recipe.
You’re welcome Marta and I hope you try this salad. Thank you for stopping by.
Another refreshing and healthy dish , Vicky ! Love this delicious salad ! I’ve seen some peaches at the market , hopefully I can find some that will be ripe enough for making ice cream 😀
Thank you Anne, it is very healthy and delicious. Peach ice cream sounds heavenly, I haven’t had that in ages.
Grilled fruits are so full of flavor! I love the idea of using grilled peaches in a salad! This is just perfect for a summery afternoon.
o yes, grilled peaches and arugula! A perfect combo for a summer salad!
Oh, yum! A grilled peach salad alone sounds wonderful, but your maple vinegar dressing pushes it over the top! I think we’ve driven past that outlet mall…next time, I’ll make sure we swing by for a look 🙂 I have a feeling my suitcase will be full of oils, vinegars and salts!
Well you know how much I love grilled peaches!! what a wonderful salad – so healthful and refreshing!
Mary x
Yum! Salad with stone fruit is one of my favorite things ever in the summer. Thanks for saying hi!
I would be in heaven in that store as well!! Sounds like you made great choices – love this salad!
Grilled peaches are so delicious! I had my first experience with grilled fruits last year and I haven’t looked back!
The maple balsamic vinegar sounds like such a gourmet treat – need to get my hands on that!
I love grilled peaches. Putting them on salad is pure brilliance.
A perfect salad for summer! I have never grilled peaches, so I will have to give this a try. I love your pictures with the mountains in the background!
The maple vinaigrette sounds like the perfect accompaniment to the sweet, juicy peaches. A great salad for summer gatherings.