What to serve now: Peach & Arugula Salad

The other night our family went out to dinner at one of our favourite little restos, L’il Baci. We feel totally at home there. The food is not too fussy and it’s soooooo good! Aside from the staple dishes like polenta with duck ragu (my fave) they have seasonal dishes that change daily. This particular visit had us drooling over the peach and arugula salad.

I’m the type of person who LOVES to recreate restaurant dishes at home. I often “eyeball” the ingredients and make a mental note and attempt it and even sometimes adjusting the recipe to our needs.

Shrimp & Scallop Skewers on the BBQ

We had family over for dinner this weekend and we’re all about easy entertaining.  We tend to not over complicate things as we would rather spend time with our guests rather than being in the kitchen the entire time. Summer is all about relaxed dinners with friends and family, especially when the freshest ingredients are readily available. The natural colours and the richness of flavours of local summer produce are tantalizing and everyone raved!

PEACH & BABY ARUGULA SALAD  (inspired by L’il Baci)

Just Peachy!

Baby arugula

2 or 3 peaches, sliced

Goat Cheese, crumbled

Praline Pecans, slightly crushed (optional)

1 tbsp Balsamic

1 tbsp Olive Oil

salt & pepper (optional)

On a large platter (or individual plates) spread the baby arugula, then place sliced peaches on top. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese on top of entire salad. Mix balsamic & olive oil in a bowl  and drizzle over top of entire salad. Sprinkle on praline pecan pieces just before serving.

Serve it up!

Tips:

Peaches don’t need to be too ripe. I like the crisp (almost apple like) texture for this salad.  You may also want to try this salad by grilling the peach slices first on the bbq.

I prefer praline pecans from President’s Choice.  I simply lightly crush them. But you can also substitute with other candied nuts.

You can also play around with the cheese. L’il Baci used a Buffalo Mozzerella.

I prefer baby arugula as the leaves make a better presentation and kids prefer it — the flavour isn’t as sharp as the full grown leaves.

How do you like your peaches?