Summer Recipe Series Kickoff – Summer Peach Salad with Blueberries, Roasted Asparagus, Feta, Basil and Mint
Summer is here and with it an abundance of fresh seafood, delicious fruits and hearty vegetables – and all from farmers, fishermen and purveyors here on the Gulf Coast. This week we kick off our summer recipe series. Throughout the summer we will be bringing you some delicious ways to enjoy the local bounty. To help us do that, we have asked a few local cooks, chefs, bloggers, and recipe testers to join us as we highlight all the Gulf Coast has to offer.
Recipe courtesy of Maro Desjardins of MarosCooking.com. Be sure and follow Maro on Instagram at @maroscooking and on Facebook at MarosCooking
The summer season is full of so much wonderful fruit and lovely produce. This fresh and bright salad is an ode to the season with sweet juicy peaches and berries along with delicious roasted asparagus and fresh herbs. I love the combination of the butter lettuce and mixed greens to add texture and color to the salad. The creaminess of the feta offers the perfect amount of savory and the toasted pine nuts add a delicate crunch. A simple dressing of fresh squeezed lemon juice, balsamic reduction and a drizzle of olive oil sprinkled with poppy seeds is all you need to enjoy a big bite of summer.
Recipe:
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 head butter lettuce, roughly torn
4 cups mixed baby greens
1 bunch asparagus. washed and trimmed
2 medium peaches, halved and sliced in segments
1 cup blueberries
1/2-3/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 teaspoons poppy seed
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar reduction (I love Alessi)
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
handful of fresh mint leaves
handful of basil leaves
Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Spread asparagus out on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 5-7 minutes, just until tender and bright green. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Line a shallow rimmed serving bowl with Bibb lettuce and baby greens. Top the middle of greens with roasted asparagus spears. Fan out segments of peaches on either side of salad. Spread blueberries, toasted pine nuts and crumbled feta on salad, along with fresh basil and mint leaves on top. Sprinkle salad with poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice on salad and finally drizzle with balsamic glaze and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Gently toss if desired or serve as is and enjoy!
