"I am Local" Grilled Peach and Asparagus Salad from Cafe Gratitude

Photo by Cafe Gratitude

At the peak of Summer, this makes for a beautiful entrée salad for lunch or a first course for dinner. It’s the ideal backdrop against which to showcase perfectly ripe peaches, but the grill will turn even a slightly green peach into a sweet, smoky nugget by caramelizing the sugars.

 RECIPE:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Himalayan sea salt

4 large peaches

16 medium asparagus spears

Extra-virgin olive oil for grilling

6 cups arugula

6 cups baby spinach

1 cup shaved fennel

¼ cup cashew mozzarella

Spicy Pepitas for topping

1 cup Goji Chipotle Dressing

· 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds soaked for 4 hours overnight 

· 1 tablespoon dried goji berries soaked for 4 hours overnight

· 1/3 cup fresh orange juice

· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1 Medjool date, pitted

· ¾ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

· ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

· ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Make the Dressing

1.     Drain and rinse the pumpkin seeds and goji berries

2.     In a blender, combine the soaked pumpkin seeds and goji berries with the orange juice, lime juice, date, salt, and chipotle powder and blend until smooth. With the blender running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until fully emulsified.

Make the Salad 

1.     In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring 6 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Once the water is at a rolling boil, blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes, until it’s bright green and tender but still crisp. Immediately transfer the asparagus to the ice water. Let the asparagus cool in the water for 1 minute before transferring it to a plate. Pat the asparagus dry with a paper towel and set aside.

2.     Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-high heat.

3.     Cut the peaches into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices. Brush the peaches and asparagus with olive oil and arrange them on the grill. Cook until the peaches and asparagus have nice grill marks, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the peaches and asparagus from the grill and set aside. 

4.     In a large mixing bowl, toss together the arugula, spinach, and shaved fennel. Arrange the greens on a large serving plate and place the grilled peaches and asparagus on top. Add pieces of crumbled cashew mozzarella, a drizzle of the goji chipotle dressing, and a sprinkle of spicy pepitas.

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