Ciao Bellos & Bellas!
The summer heat is here in spades! I created another Summer Italian Salad recipe using beautiful stone fruit that can be a main, or paired with grains or grilled meats. The entire recipe is below. My private cooking classes are booking into June and my classes at Kitsilano Community Center are selling out. You can register HERE starting today. Heads up, classes fill fast in the Fall.
On Thursday, August 16th I’ll again be appearing as part of the Cast of NBC’s & CTV’s series Trial & Error starring Kristin Chenoweth! It is one of the most critically acclaimed Comedies in years and Vulture magazine called it “Delightfully Bonkers!” Watch, and if you have a moment please Tweet & Instagram out #savetrialanderror to bring it back for a 3rd Season. Check your local listings for start times.
Now on to the recipe.
During this hot summer we are blessed with an abundance of Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots as well as Zucchini. I love all of them so I thought I’d bring them together in a salad which you can do raw or, for more flavour, grill the stone fruit. Either way it uses the local abundance of the season, is healthy, easy to make, and most importantly gives you time to Eat with those you Love! It doesn’t get anymore Italian, Italian-Canadian or, let’s be honest, human than that.
Try it, share it, sign-up for my monthly recipe but most importantly always remember to #EatwiththoseyouLove TM
Buon Appetitio Tutti,
Peter
Insalata di Zucchini e Frutta
Feeds 3 to 4 people
Ingredients:
4 Smaller Zucchini
2 ripe Peaches or Nectarines
3 Apricots
Mint & Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
Chilli Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Halve your Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots. If you cannot easily remove the pits cut them into the largest sections you can if you’re going to cook the fruit. If you’re tossing them into the salad raw, then cut them into bite size wedges.
If cooking your peaches and Apricots preheat your BBQ Grill or a Cast Iron pan until they are close to smoking.
Season your stone fruit with salt, pepper and a bit of Chilli flakes. Toss them with just a touch of oil.
Immediately after oiling the fruit, using tongs, place your fruit flesh down on the cooking surface. Be careful as it may flame up. Flip them when they have grill marks or they have begun to lightly brown in the pan. Once the skin side has grilled remove them from the grill/pan and place them in a bowl. Make sure not to discard the juices that come out.
Take your Zucchini and run a peeler along all sides creating strips until you begin to see the core. Repeat on all the rest. Place your strips into a large ceramic bowl. Take the zucchini cores and cut them into wedges or chunks and grill or pan fry them the same way you did your stone fruit. You can also save them for another time.
Add .5 TBSP of your Vinegar to a bowl. Add 1.5 TBSP of the juices from your fruit to the bowl. Drizzle and whisk 6 TBSP of Olive Oil into the bowl. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and chilli flakes.
Mix your Zucchini strips, fruit (cut into wedges or bite size pieces), and grilled cores in a bowl. Add half the dressing, and toss it all together. Taste and add dressing, seasoning, and torn Basil & Mint all to taste.
You can have this on its own or with quinoa, faro or grilled chicken or fish. The most important thing is that you go & #EatwiththoseyouLove TM