Peach Berry Salad with Cornmeal Croutons & Berry Vinaigrette

Peach Berry Salad with Cornmeal Croutons & Berry Vinaigrette. June 2, 2023.

Summer is the season of fresh fruit. The fresh fruit tastes beautiful when picked at its peak in the summer months. And the scent of fruit lingers in the air of those warm summer days adding to the carefree spirit of the season. Today’s salad I created is summer on a plate. Fresh berries, rosy peach slices, butter lettuce, big crunchy cornmeal croutons, and a summer pink berry vinaigrette are brought together in a harmony of flavors. This can be eaten with grilled chicken slices or without. Either way it is a meal in itself for a warm day eating on the deck or patio. Make sure to enjoy with a glass of rosé!

Peach Berry Salad with Cornmeal Croutons & Berry Vinaigrette

Butter lettuce

Mixed fresh berries

Fresh peach slices

Feta cheese crumbled (the perfect mild cheese with fruit)

Sliced almonds

Slices of cooked chicken (optional)

Cornmeal croutons (see below)

Berry Vinaigrette (see below)

Assemble the salad by first layering lettuce on place and then distributing the rest of ingredients as desired on salad. Top with the berry vinaigrette.

Berry Vinaigrette

This berry vinaigrette is really good and the berry shines through! Makes approximately 1.5 cups.

1/3 cup mixed berry puree (see below note on puree)

1/4 white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup avocado oil

2 tbsps. honey

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Combine berry puree, vinegar, honey, and sea salt in blend or food processor until smooth. Continuing to pulse, add avocado oil, slowly drizzling in while mixing continuously. When all the oil is added dressing should be smooth and thickened and stay emulsified. Store in the fridge.

Note: I made my berry puree by running 1 cup of mixed frozen berries that had been thawed through my ricer. Using berries previously frozen made them softer and easier to extract juices and pulp from without seeds.

Cornmeal croutons

Use homemade cornbread. These make a yummy snack too!

Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet. Next, take cubes of day-old cornbread and toss them gently in the olive oil on the sheet. Season with kosher salt. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the croutons.) Tip: larger croutons yield a crunchy crouton with a soft middle which is yummy with the cornbread!

Have a beautiful day!