For a colorful twist on the Italian classic, peaches stand in for tomatoes in this Peach Caprese Salad; a bed of mixed greens adds extra depth. Recipe below.
AS MUCH AS I LIKE TO PLAY WITH MY FOOD, when it comes to salads, I usually prefer to keep them simple. More often than not, some mixed greens with a garlicky French vinaigrette or sherry Dijon vinaigrette sounds perfect to me. A friend of ours calls these stripped down efforts honeymoon salads—”Lettuce alone.”
So when I recently received a review copy of Linda Steidel’s For Every Season There Is a Salad, it seemed like a great time for me to step up my salad game. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Steidel now teaches at Williams-Sonoma in Palos Verdes, California, caters private events and hosts occasional dinners at changing venues through her Underground Restaurant.
As the name implies, the book is organized by season, with 86 salad recipes and another 14 recipes of dressings and “accoutrements.” Steidel gleefully mixes exotic and homespun recipes—Curried Crab & Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Grilled Hot Dog Salad, for instance. And she happily stretches the very idea of salads. Soups, souffles and a tomato & onion tart are among the offerings (she suggests serving the tart with a simple green salad). But with the interesting collection of ingredients, flavors and combinations she serves up, it all seems to work.
For Every Season There Is a Salad is generously illustrated with sumptuous color photographs by Mark Choate. Which leads to one minor quibble I have with the book—a number of these shots are beautiful still lifes of ingredients. Bundles of asparagus, close-ups of bright yellow peppers or blood red tomatoes. Gorgeous as they are, I would prefer more photographs of prepared dishes. That said, there are many of those too.
Like the one shown here of Seidel’s take on the classic Italian caprese salad, Summer Peach, Mozzarella & Basil Stacks. This one caught my eye and my taste buds as well, imagining the ripe sweetness of peaches mixing with rich, creamy cheese, basil’s fresh bite and the tartness of a balsamic vinaigrette. I opted for a less architectural approach, arranging alternating slices of peach and cheese on a bed of mixed greens. The greens added another layer of flavor and crunch.
Peach Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar—see Kitchen Notes)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 firm-ripe peaches
- 4 generous handfuls of mixed greens
- 8 ounces or more fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds (see Kitchen Notes)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Whisk olive oil and vinegar together in a small bowl to make a vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Halve the peaches, remove pits and slice into rounds. Many of the peach rounds will have holes in the middle where the pit was. That's fine. In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with about half the vinaigrette.
- Arrange the greens on a platter or divide them among 4 salad plates. Arrange alternating slices of peach and mozzarella along the center of the platter or on each plate. Drizzle additional vinaigrette over the peaches and mozzarella. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve.
That is a WONDERFUL idea… Peaches are just coming into season here in SA, and I am definitely going to make this! Thanks.
Robyn
I’ve made this with peaches and also with pears. Caprese is a very welcoming salad to any new ingredients.
Thanks, Robyn! I hope you enjoy it.
Pears sound like a great idea, Lydia! I’ve also heard plums work well.
Lovely! I just discovered the wonderfulness of mixing canteloupe and tomatoes in a salad.
Wow that looks beautiful. I have served peaches with fresh mozzarella as a dessert, but never as a savory dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the book. I will have to check it out.
Beautiful picture! I love the idea of using peaches instead of tomatoes in the caprese salad. I’m going to have to try this while peaches are still in season.
What an amazing twist on a classic salad! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Joan—Cantaloupe and tomato does sound like a nice mix of flavors. Beautiful colors too!
City Share—They do work well as a savory dish, particularly if your mixed greens contain some slightly bitter flavored varieties.
Thanks, My Man’s Belly!
Do give it a try, Deborah. I hadn’t heard of it before finding Steidel’s book, but it’s apparently a rather popular twist on caprese salad.
I never try this combination, it looks fresh and interesting, i’ll try it and i’ll let you know the feedback .
Articut
For someone who keeps her sweet and savory in different rooms, I probably won’t go in this direction. But your photos are lovely, as always.
Wow, I’ve never heard (or thought of) this! I think I’ll try it, but it’s hard for me to part mozzarella from in-season tomatoes.
Thanks, Articut!
Altadenahiker—Thanks! I’ll keep working on you and see if I can bring you over to the sweet and salty side.
Do give it a try, Kendra. The good thing is that it’s not an all or nothing decisions. You can mix it up depending on your mood and what produce you have on hand.
What a gorgeous combination and a great idea to use white balsamic vinegar (something I have only just discovered). The only problem is that it makes me feel a bit sad as summer here in England has well and truly come to an end and this salad needs warm skies and some kind of sun to really do it justice. Something to look forward to next year then!
I can’t believe I didn’t know about white balsamic vinegar! This sounds wonderful ~ love the greens. Stunning photograph! A must try!
How gorgeous! I love the idea of the sweet peach and the salty cheese. I’m devastated that peach season in New York is coming to an end, but this would be a great send off recipe as we move into fall.
Hi, Rachel! I almost think that if you can still get peaches, this might make it at least feel a little summery.
Dani—And one place to find white balsamic is Trader Joe’s.
Thanks, Laura! We’re still getting plenty of peaches here in the Midwest. Grab some while you can in New York and give this a try!
We make caprese salad a lot — such a great summer salad. Never thought of using peaches, though. But we will, we will. 🙂 Thanks!
John, I hope you do try it. We like it a lot!