Summer Salads and Stone Fruit

Summer Peach Salad (Delicious Dec 10)

With summer comes the inevitable and happily welcomed appearance of summer fruit into the markets and shops. No type more happily welcomed by me than stone fruit. The peaches at the moment have been sensational and have been inspiring a few peach based salads. In Ottelinghi the cookbook there is a great Peach and speck salad that is dressed with a dressing of orange blossom water.  Also recently in the December 2010 (my pick of the December food magazines that I brought) was a great peach salad with coriander and chilli - a great hit each time I have made it.  A variation of this recipe is pictured to the left - with added rocket.

Peach, Prosciutto and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad

Super Summer Salad - Peach Prosciutto and Buffalo Mozzarella. This salad was born through the inspiration of some of the other peach salads that I love and a trip to the shops to have a good look around at what produce looked good and what I felt like eating. Peach, prosciutto and torn buffalo mozzarella on a base of rocket with shredded basil to get in my serve of greens and add a peppery tang. I dressed the salad with a white balsamic and a tangy extra virgin olive oil, good grind of both salt and pepper and served it with a fresh Ciabatta. Perfect for a summer night!

Summer slaw

Variations on some old classics - Summer Slaw - The bright colours of red cabbage, carrot, spring onions and parsley along with regular cabbage make this variation of the classic coleslaw a feast for your eyes as well as your mouth. I have forgone the traditional mayonnaise based dressing and opted instead to dress it with white balsamic vinegar and a dash of olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper of course. Seasoned in this way this slaw is a lot lighter but doesn't compromise flavour and is full of crunch.

Lemon, chilli and mint potato salad

Lemon, Chilli and Mint Potato Salad - looking for a lighter healthier option to the traditional potato salad or just want to try something a bit different? This is a slightly different take on potato salad. I am a skins on the potato person as why waste time peeling the potatoes for potato salad simply to lose the nutrients and texture that the skins add. The dressing in this salad is made from a mix of light sour cream, yoghurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, finely chopped chilli, mint, chives and S&P. I love lemons and mint so it is no surprise to see these making an appearance in this salad.

Whether it is a casual BBQ with friends or a quick meal at home in there is no reason that salads should be boring or tasteless. Salads are one of my favourite things to experiment with - probably due to years of salad making for a job whilst going through uni.  It is amazing how successful something quite quick and simple but slightly different to normal can be - so go on live a little. Contrary to pop-culture beliefs You can make friends with salad!