Even I savor moments in the summertime when I have accomplished preparing any meal without turning on the stove or the oven or any heat source really. Another salad in the books that hearty enough for dinner and requires minimal effort. Because cutting vegetables and fruit is about all I can really stand in this heat. Peach Caprese Salads are my stone fruit season staple. What’s better than juicy peaches in the summertime?
What is a Stone Fruit?
I’ll keep this short and sweet because I’d rather eat stone fruits than talk about them. Stone fruits are going to be your fruits with a big seed in the middle. That’s the “stone.” So, we’re thinking peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, lychees, and mangoes. Even coconuts. Stone fruit season in the United States runs from about mid/late-summer to early fall. This is when you’ll see some of your favorite stone fruit desserts like peach cobbler or cherry pie.
If you’re brave or if you just really love stone fruits, you can substitute the peaches with nectarines or apricots for an even more unique take on the traditional caprese salad.
The Salad
This salad gives you the perfect excuse to take a trip to the farmer’s market. You will want to use fresh peaches. Preferably while in season because for the best results you’ll want to make this salad right when the peaches hit that sweet spot of being ripe, tender, and sweet but not soft, soggy, and overly ripe peaches. The best peach caprese salads have peaches that still hold their shape. For the mozzarella, slice a fresh ball into round slices and layer them between the peach wedges and basil leaves.
The Dressing
I went through a champagne vinegar phase. Some great things came out of it. Like this very simple champagne vinaigrette. Three ingredients: champagne vinegar; olive oil; and maple syrup (or honey). Mix it well and drizzle over the caprese salad for an added tangy and sweet flavor.
Peach Caprese with Champagne Vinaigrette
Peach Caprese Salads are a stone fruit season staple. The peaches are a beautiful and sweet substitution for the tomato slices in a traditional caprese salad. As always, fresh ingredients make the difference. Find the freshest basil and juiciest (but not too soft/overly ripe) peaches you can get your hands on. Arrange the peach slices and fresh basil leaves between generous rounds of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with the sweet and tangy champagne vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients
- Fresh peaches, cut into wedges (about ½ to 1 peach per person)
- Fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
- Fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the Peach Caprese: Arrange the peach slices, sliced mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves on a serving tray or individual plates.
- For the Champagne Vinaigrette: In a mason jar, combine olive oil, champagne vinegar, maple syrup, salt and black pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Drizzle over the salad and serve immediately.
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