Even though the arrival of September typically marks the arrival of all things apples, if you live in the peach state, you can still snag you some great peaches! My favorite farms to get them from are Pearson farms (which unfortunately just ended their season) and Jaemor, who still has bushels of peaches.
My will to cook anywhere other than the grill during August and early September is quite low, so usually dinner consists of fresh produce and something grilled. Not to mention meal planning with all your kids still around is laughable.
This salad came about when I had chicken to cook, heaps of great produce on my counters and some stray pieces of bacon left in the fridge. I love salads for their simplicity during summer months. Salad is to summer what soup is to winter. Endlessly versatile, economic and satisfying.
Peach Cobb Salad
-two chicken breasts (about 1 pound or so) marinated (marinade/dressing below)
-at least 5 oz mixed greens or lettuce
-1 large, or 2 small peaches, diced
-feta cheese
-ripe avocado
-a couple strips of cooked bacon, diced
-pecans (I used about 1/2 cup)
-balsamic reduction (optional)
-balsamic dressing
Dressing/marinade (make double batch to use for both):
-1 tablespoon dijon mustard
-1 teaspoon honey
-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
-1/2 cup EVOO
While you can grill your chicken, I actually smoked ours on our Big Green Egg. To do this you want a lower temp. I did ours about 300*F, for 7-8 minutes per side, depending on how thick the chicken breasts are. An instant read thermometer is a great investment to help you get consistently cooked chicken until you figure out what it feels like when done. If you’re grilling, anywhere from 350-450 is a good temp, flip when chicken turns white, and check temp for doneness (about 160*F). Remove chicken and let rest on a plate while you prep the rest of your salad.
Place chopped lettuce, or mixed greens in a large bowl. Cover one portion in however much feta cheese you like, then another portion in the pecans, then bacon, and peaches, but save avocado for last to keep it from browning. Once chicken has rested for 5-10 minutes, I diced it just to make eating with the kiddos easy. Put chicken and avocado on, then drizzle a balsamic reduction on the stop (while you can certainly make this by reducing balsamic vinegar on your stove top, I just buy mine from Trader Joe’s). I tossed with balsamic vinaigrette just before serving.
I ran out to one of our local farms just last week and grabbed a bushel of peaches, the first of the apples, a bunch of heirloom tomatoes, corn on the cob, and extra cucumbers to make homemade pickles with. Plus apple cider donuts, obv. If ever there was a time to hit up your local farmstand, this is it! And if you’re looking for extra recipes to use those peaches, may I direct you to my favorite cobbler recipe, or some other favorites?