Grilled Peach and Corn Salad

I pass a few farms on my way to work every morning.  One has had a sign that says “Peach Sale” out front for a couple of weeks.  So I finally made my way there to see what exactly a peach sale looks like.  I ended up getting a bucket about the size of a watermelon for 3.99.  I was psyched!  So I got to thinking about how I can use peaches in all our food for the next week.

My first idea was grilling, a natural thought in the summer.  This was actually the first time I tried grilling peaches.  Here’s what I learned: you should only grill them on the fleshy side and only until they have grill marks.  Otherwise they get mushy.

My tip for removing the pit of the peaches with less of a hassle is to find where the natural groove runs from side to side on the top (by where the peach was attached to the tree).  Then, cut the peach in half in the opposite direction by using the pit as the guide (like you slice an avocado in half).  I will make videos for these things at some point in case seeing it is helpful.  So essentially there is a groove in the top that looks like a line going in one direction and you want to cut it the other way so it looks like an X.  The reason you do this is because that groove indicates the way the pit is running, and if you cut opposite it you will have the longer side of the pit exposed which means you can remove it more easily (and not have to dig into the peach to get that sucker out of there).   Once you have cut it in half twist it so you have 2 halves, one with a pit and one without.  Now you should be able to pull the pit out, or just push it to once side and pop it out.  If it’s being a jerk and not budging, cut the half in half again, pull one of the quarters off and most of the pit will be exposed so you can just give it a yank.

Health highlight of EV Olive Oil:  I was surprised when I learned that extra virgin olive oil is actually anti-inflammatory!  You hear all the time that it is a “heart healthy fat” so it’s not a surprise that EV olive oil is good for your heart.  This oil is also a good source of vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your cell membranes from damage (and has been shown to help cells repair from sun damage!).  Extra virgin olive oil may also help lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk for breast and colon cancer.

Ingredients:

6 Peaches (cut in halves or quarters – remove pits)
5 ounces (about 4 cups) Lettuce
4 ounces Goat Cheese
3 ears Corn (remove husk and silk)
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup EV Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
High heat cooking spray

Easy Instructions:

• Grill the peaches and corn
• Remove the corn from the cob
• Slice the peaches
• In a large bowl add the lettuce, corn, peaches, balsamic, oil, and crumble the goat cheese on top
• Toss to combine
• Taste and season with salt and pepper
• Serve

Detailed Instructions:

• Preheat the grill
• Spray the fleshy (not skin) side of the peaches with the cooking spray and lightly spray the corn
• Add the peaches and corn to the grill
• Grill the peaches only on the fleshy side and remove when they brown and have grill marks
• Grill the corn until it becomes a slightly darker yellow and has a little browning
• Once ready removed the corn and peaches
• Remove the corn from the cob
• Slice the peaches
• In a large bowl add the lettuce, corn, peaches, balsamic, oil, and crumble the goat cheese on top
• Toss to combine
• Taste and season with salt and pepper
• Serve

Also, how is it August already!?