Green Salad with Peaches and Blackberry Dressing

Green Salad with Peaches and Blackberry Dressing

Green Salad with Peaches and Blackberry Dressing

by Victoria Challancin

You may have guessed from past posts that I love fruit both in my salads and in my dressings.  Occasionally, a touch of fruit is a perfect way to dress up a salad and make it seasonally interesting. I first started adding the odd bit of fruit to my salads back in the early '80s, when I learned from a Pakistani friend Misbah to include thinly sliced green apples in my salads--a novelty to me at that time.  Since then, my repertoire has grown to include mangoes, plums, peaches, berries, and more--and the dressings which incorporate these fruits have increased as well.  Refreshing, appealing, and seasonal, fruit can dress up an everyday salad and make it something special.


I recently chose this salad, which I found at Frenchfood.about.com, of Field Greens with Peaches and Blackberry Dressing to prepare in a cooking class I taught to Mexican Cooks.  I only had leaf lettuce to work with on that day and I opted for goat cheese instead of blue, but the salad was lovely nevertheless.  

With the addition of candied almonds, to which we added a hint of ground chile

Field Greens with Peaches and Blackberry Dressing

(Recipe from Rebecca Franklin at Frenchfood.about.com)

Serves 4.

Rebecca Franklin's Note:  Enjoy the taste of warm weather with crispy baby field greens enhanced by fresh peaches and blue cheese. This blackberry peach salad recipe’s crowning glory is homemade blackberry vinaigrette that’s both tangy and savory at once. Top the salad with crunchy candied almonds that provide enough protein for a light lunch.

Blackberry vinaigrette:

1 3/4 cup frozen blackberries

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon (pinch) ground black pepper

Candied almonds:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup almonds

Salad:

4 cups petite field greens or mixed lettuces of choice

2 peaches, peeled and cut into thin slices

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese


To make the blackberry vinaigrette: 
Place the blackberries in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring them to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Once the berries come to a simmer, remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.  Puree the berries in a food processor or blender and then press the mixture through a fine to medium mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  Whisk the remaining ingredients into the seedless blackberry puree. 


To make the candied almonds:
Bring 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a boil for 2 minutes.  Add the almonds and continue cooking the mixture over medium-high heat until the nuts are coated in a thick sugar syrup.  Spread the candied almonds on a lightly greased baking sheet to cool.


To assemble the peach blackberry salad:
Arrange 1 cup field greens on each chilled salad plate (or use one large salad plate as I did).  Divide the sliced peaches, blue cheese, and candied almonds among each salad.  Drizzle the salads with the  blackberry vinaigrette and serve immediately.


Enjoy!

A Moroccan Rose on Marble


©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.