Yes, I said interesting salad.

I lived through the sadness of the fat-free craze in the 90s (yep, back in the 1900s), and plain, boring salads just will not be eaten in my kitchen anymore. Spring and summer months call for using all the fresh, ripe, robust produce you can get, though, and this is the perfect approach to dinner when it’s just too freakin’ hot to cook. And there’s nary a boring bite in sight.

Blueberry Peach Salad, with variations

You’ll need:

4 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup blueberries

2 ripe peaches, any variety

1/2 cup rough chopped walnuts

*Easy pickled red onions

1-2 ripe, chopped avocado

1/2 cup crumbled feta

3 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, or peach vinegar – each gives a different flavor, so, you pick!

1 tsp raw honey

Fresh dill, if you have it, finely chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

Add grilled chicken, if you’re making this an entree salad

Method:

*First, make your super-fast-and-easy pickled onions. You’re gonna want to keep these around all season for salads, burgers, sammies, tacos, everything. They elevate every dish you put them on!

Thinly slice red onions and stuff them into a jar with an airtight lid. If you love garlic, feel free to add a clove or two, rough chopped, or if you’re a spicy kitchen minx, toss in a few crushed red pepper flakes. Various fresh herbs are a great addition, too. The onions are perfect on their own, but feel free to experiment!

Combine 1 cup of hot water, 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp of sugar in a measuring cup. Stir to combine. Pour over the onions, making sure they’re completely covered. Let them sit for an hour to pickle, and then cover, and use them with abandon. (They’ll keep for a couple of weeks in your fridge, but they won’t last that long. Make a double batch.)

Set the onions aside to pickle, and whip up your dressing.

Whisk the EVOO, lemon juice or vinegar, honey, dill, salt and pepper together, and set aside.

Assemble the salad by plating the greens, and topping with the fruit, nuts, onions, feta, and chicken, if you’re using it. Because the fruit (including the avocado) is delicate, I prefer not to toss the whole salad, but you can definitely toss just the greens before plating them. I prefer to serve the dressing on the side, but make extra if you have a dressing hog at your table.

A note on the peach vinegar and EVOO I’ve linked here: they’re from the same Georgia company, and they’re made fresh from their own produce. I absolutely love everything they make, and I also love sharing favorite things with you!

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