It has been a strange, hot summer. I’ve complained a lot. You see, I only like perfect weather: autumn, spring, mild summer days and moderate winters. Anything else I find annoying.
I am silly.
One thing I did not complain about was the food. Even with no power and 100°F+, I appreciated the amazing bounty of a Midwestern summer. When else can you eat salads like this?
This is the sort of big, robust salad that can stand alone as the star of the show. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon. I’d love to serve it with some corn bread and a glass of iced tea. I suggest you make it right now, while there are still some peaches hanging around.
The original recipe did not have the arugula, but I liked their peppery addition.
Grilled Peach, Onion and Bacon Salad with Buttermilk Dressing (adapted from Food & Wine)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons snipped chives
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Freshly ground pepper
- Salt
- 1 pound thick-sliced bacon
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 pounds Vidalia or other sweet onions, cut into 1-inch-thick slabs
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 4 large ripe peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 2-3 cups baby arugula, for serving
Preheat the oven to 325° F. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the sour cream, buttermilk, mint, parsley, chives and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cayenne. Bake for about 25 minutes, until caramelized (the bacon will crisp as it cools). Let cool, then cut the bacon into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until softened and browned, 10 minutes. Separate the onions into rings. Brush the peaches with olive oil and grill over moderately high heat until tender, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
On a large serving platter, arrange the arugula in a layer. Top with the peaches, onions, and bacon. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
Judy says:
August 24th, 2012 at 9:18 am
It looks A.MAZ.ZING. This may HAVE to be for dinner tonight with something grilled. Plus I have everything but the sweet onions. Thank you for the deliciousness!
Kristen @ RMK life says:
August 24th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Oh. mah. garsh.
Let the grilling party begin. This looks wonderful.
From one Chicago blogger to another,
KM
Row says:
August 24th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Tim, if you’re silly, then I’m silly too, because I’m firmly in the perfect weather camp. :) This is a gorgeous dish and I’ll have to try it soon! As an aside, I just came back from a trip to Chicago and the food over there is excellent! :)
SG says:
August 24th, 2012 at 11:04 am
your images are insanely gorgeous. i too only like perfect weather. Silly Friend Club!
Ben @Focus:Snap:Eat says:
August 24th, 2012 at 11:44 am
I’m surprised you didn’t use red onions because I see that in salads everywhere! LOL. I love summer peaches, and yes, this time of year is the best time to eat, even when sweaty and stinky. :)
Eileen says:
August 24th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
This salad sounds perfect–especially considering the amazing stone fruit that’s everywhere right now. I love the sweet and savory and smoky-grilled combination.
Dena says:
August 24th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
This looks delicious. I love the combination of colors, tastes and textures. Well done! Will make this one soon, perhaps with an herbed flat bread, done on the grill, alongside and bottle of chilled wine.
Riley says:
August 24th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Peaches AND bacon? I am in heaven!
Tim says:
August 24th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
This looks great, I am going to try this soon before peaches are done for the year! I really love your blog as well.
The Duo Dishes says:
August 25th, 2012 at 8:56 am
We made a pasta salad with these ingredients a couple of years ago, and it was great! Peaches and bacon are a nice pair. Love the arugula in this one. Smart idea.
Greg says:
August 25th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
OK…I’m all over this one. And,amazingly, I have all of the ingredients on hand…Done.
erinn says:
August 26th, 2012 at 5:14 am
The best part of summer is the ease in which you can cook the most wonderfully simple, but delicious meal. When each ingredient is at its best it is hard to go wrong.
Jose says:
August 26th, 2012 at 9:02 am
Congratulations,
Very simply and very handy! Will not forget about this during this summer!
Darien says:
August 26th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Sorry for posting on a diff recipe, but I just made the eggplant dip…had to sub in Aleppo pepper and add a splash of apple cider vinegar (!!) for acid since my fancy whole foods lemons produced a molecule of juice, but holy cow it is a-m-a-z-i-n-g thank you so much for the *excellent* recipe!
Flossie says:
August 27th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
I bookmarked this when you first posted, but I just got around to making it tonight. It was SO good. The dressing was really delicious; I would eat it on pretty much anything. I might slice the onions a little thinner next time, but the salad was really the star of the show tonight as is.
Elizabeth says:
August 28th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Happily, I nearly have all of these ingredients on hand, and have been meaning to get peaches into something savory before summer ends. But I think my favorite thing about this recipe is the plentiful sweet onions. Hell yes.
Sharon (Trini Caribbean Catering) says:
September 5th, 2012 at 3:52 am
Wow….thats looks amazing. It is nice to see some great recipes with peaches. I think I will have to try this recipe soon. Thanks!
molly says:
September 13th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
ooooh, i had a peach and chicken kabob this summer that blew my mind, against any and all expectation. i can see it working its way right into this salad. and, lucky me, have spanking-fresh arugula in the fridge, hoot!
btw, made the eggplant dip from a few months back, the other night. deliriously excellent. thanks for the sortun reminder.