I’ve been making lots of “goodies” and “treats” these days, and I’ve been slacking on posts that involve real food.

Thank goodness for this month’s Secret Recipe Club’s assignment, Kristy’s blog Gastronomical Sovereignty pulled me out of my sweets coma! I love Kristy’s blog, her writing and her passion  and love for food (“…and wine…of course”, as she states.) The way she describes herself “as a pure, unadulterated, excitable, passionate, mad-lover of food and wine” appears to fit her to a T from the posts I’ve read!

I chose a delicious summery salad to make this month; the original recipe was a Dandelion Green, Bresaola & Grilled Peach Salad and I tweaked it just a bit based on the ingredients available. I searched multiple stores for both bresaola and dandelion greens without any luck (bummer!), so I substituted mixed greens with arugula, spinach and frisee for the dandelion greens and nitrate-free prosciutto for the bresaola. I added a small handful of chopped walnuts for a little texture and also sprinkled crushed red pepper for a little kick.

What an easy and yummy salad! The grilled peaches and mozzarella pair really well with the salty prosciutto and tang from the balsamic reduction. I could have reduced the homemade balsamic reduction further but I was getting hungry and I didn’t want to wait…oh but still delicious! While prosciutto isn’t my favorite to begin with (this was my fault for subbing), I would opt to leave this out altogether next time or substitute a few slices of well-cooked, crunchy turkey bacon for the salty addition…you might even make this a vegetarian salad by using julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for a different take! Mmmm, the combination options are plenty!

Overall, this was a summery success!

Grilled Peach, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Salad with Mixed Greens (adapted from Gastronomical Sovereignty)

Ingredients

2 Large Handfuls of Mixed Greens (or Dandelion Greens from Original Recipe)
100g Prosciutto (or Bresaola), paper thin
1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella (or Buffalo Mozzarella), cut or torn into pieces or cubes
2 Peaches, ripe, halved & pitted
Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
chopped walnuts (optional)
4 Tbsp Kristy’s Balsamic Reduction

Directions

1. Drain the mozzarella cheese. Place ball(s) in a colander to strain. Once most of the liquid has seeped out, cut into cubes (or tear into slightly larger than bite size pieces if you don’t want to use a knife). Set aside.
2. As your cheese drains, grill the peaches. Preheat your grill pan or BBQ grill to medium-high. As it heats, toss the peaches in a little olive oil and then place on hot grill. (Close the lid if using outdoor BBQ). Sear for about 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly. Chop into 1″ pieces. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, gently mix together the greens with mozzarella, chopped sweet Summer peaches, a small glug of good quality olive oil, and a pinch of coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper with your hands.
4. Lay a 2-3 pieces of the prosciutto on a plate and gently scoop a handful of the salad mixture on top. Finish off the salad with a drizzle of acidic balsamic reduction, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!