Grilled Peach Salad

Peaches and other stone fruits (fruit with pits) are a win/lose for me - they're some of the only fruit I truly LOVE to eat and they're some of the only fruits that cause my throat to swell and tingle and close up. While it's a huge bummer for me each spring and summer that I can't simply dig into a fresh bowl of cherries or take a big bite out of a plum, I've learned that my allergic reaction isn't triggered if I cook the fruit. That should mean I have free reign to make fruit desserts all spring and summer, right? I wish. For a healthier way to eat them, enter: grilled peaches.

If you haven't had grilled fruit before, I highly recommend you try it. The sweetness gets caramelized where the grill hits the fruit and it is both a flavor and texture that you have to try. I sliced up a fresh peach into wedges and drizzled them with a small amount of canola oil (grapeseed would work great here too - you want to go for a lighter flavor so it doesn't compete with the peach).

Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper - they won't be salty, it just helps bring out the flavor - and pop them onto a heated grill or grill pan. I've even done them with a little bit of cayenne or paprika - just enough heat to gently play with the sweet peach flavor.

I left them on for about 3 - 5 minutes a side, just to get some really nice grill marks all over. I tossed them into a bowl of baby spinach with a handful of hazelnuts. I went with a sweet and spicy dressing to highlight the fresh fruit flavor but contrast with some heat.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt

I actually did the peaches after I cooked a steak on the grill pan as well. I lightly wiped out the pan and grilled the peaches while the meat rested. Especially based on how I cut the beef, this ended up being such a striped plate!

This was a Something For Everyone salad. There were the sweet, tender peaches, the crunchy nuts, the fresh spinach, and the tangy semi-spicy dressing. All of the flavors worked beautifully together and I did dip a few bites of steak into the remaining dressing on the plate - it was so good.

This salad is a great addition to any outdoor grilling menu you have planned, especially for dessert options after burgers and dogs! Grilled peaches, or whatever other fruits you like, would also go great with ice cream. I love pitted fruits so much, I might even grill some up and add a different punch of flavor to a sangria pitcher! The possibilities go on and on.