Peach Caprese Salad
Peach Capreses Salad/ Image taken from the Magnolia Table Cookbook by Joanna Gaines
As Palisade peach season starts to wind down, I’ve been making things with our amazingly delicious peaches as often as I can! One of my favorite go to recipe’s come from my Joanna Gaines cookbook, Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gatherings. This recipe is inspired by the traditional tomato Caprese salad and replaced the tomatoes with peaches. It is one of my favorite recipes from her cookbook and a true crowd pleaser! So, without further ado, I bring you the Peach Caprese Salad!
Ingredients
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Two white peaches, chilled
Two yellow peaches, chilled
Two 4-ounce fresh mozzarella balls, preferably water-packed
10 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon flaky salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Note regarding ingredients: When I make this with Palisade Peaches, I use the yellow Free Stone variety. I’m not so concerned about them being yellow or white, the key is they are Free Stone as those are better (in my humble opinion) and a million times easier to get the pit out!
Directions
In an 8-ounce screw-top jar, combine the vinegar and olive oil. Screw on the lid and shake well. Refrigerate until well chilled. The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. I cut my dressing in half and use a spoon to drizzle it on to ensure I do not over dress the salad.
Remove the pits from the peaches. With a Free Stone peach, to remove the pit, all you must do is score the fruit with a knife around the middle making sure the knife contacts the pit as you move around the peach and twist. Next cut the fruit into ½-inch-thick slices or wedges. Here I cont them into ¼ inch slice/wedge. Drain the mozzarella if necessary and pat it dry. Use a sharp knife to cut it into ¼-inch-thick slices. I then cut the slice in half as it is easier to eat.
On a serving platter, decoratively arrange the slices of peach and mozzarella. Scatter the basil leaves on top, drizzle with the dressing and season with the flaky salt and and pepper. Here, I roughly tear the basil leaves (verses cutting) them.
Bon Appetit!
