Savory Whipped Dressing Served with Peaches? It’s an Eye Opener.
I lucked into the first good peaches of the season. After first eating one out of hand and realizing how good they were, I decided to make a salad. Even though these were clings and not freestones, I didn’t have much trouble removing the pits and slicing them. Thinking back to how much I liked Vivian Howard’s blue cheese/buttermilk/whipped cream dressing for her orange and beet salad, I came up with my own rendition.
There’s no buttermilk in this dressing. I first very lightly whipped half a cup of cream, added crumbled blue cheese, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper, and nigella seeds. While it was good, it still wasn’t quite as good as I thought it could be. Then it struck me that Worcestershire sauce was the missing element. After adding it, the dressing really came to life and I was satisfied.
It was then only a matter of slicing the peaches, a Serrano chili, and red onion. Pomegranate arils added the perfect high spots of brightness. A sprinkle of both black pepper and Aleppo pepper, and a little salt rounded out the whole salad.
I’ve grown to really love these kinds of dressings. A big dollop of that dressing spooned on top of each serving is my idea of perfection. By whipping the cream, the dressing stays nice and thick and doesn’t water down when added to the fruits and vegetables. You won’t need all the dressing for the salad, so there’s some left over to enjoy the next day with more sliced fruit and veggies, a wedge salad or simple salad greens.
And now that good peaches are arriving in the markets, I will be serving this throughout the coming season. Again, it’s these kinds of salads that keep my meals fun and interesting. The sky’s the limit on the possible variations. It all just depends on what’s looking best at the market. I can’t wait for the apricots, plums, nectarines, and really great tomatoes to show up. Not to mention the beautiful berries and baby vegetables. I love all of it. And while I’ll most definitely be baking pies and cobblers with some of the fruits, they will most often show up in my salads, where I can enjoy their spectacular flavors in their purest state. I hope you’ll be enjoying them, too!
Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Whipped Cream Dressing
4
servingsSliced Peaches, Red Onions and Pomegranate Arils Salad Topped with A Blue Cheese Whipped Cream Dressing.
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Ingredients
- Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
- Salad Ingredients
4 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 small Serrano chili, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
Aleppo pepper, for finishing
kosher salt, for finishing
black pepper, coarsely ground, for finishing
Directions
- Dressing Directions
- Whip the cream with the salt until soft peaks form. Fold in the remaining ingredients and chill.
- Salad Directions
- Layer the peaches, chili, and red onion on a platter. Sprinkle with the pomegranate arils, a little kosher salt, Aleppo pepper, and black pepper. Serve with the blue cheese whipped cream dressing. Enjoy!
2 Responses
I save your recipes daily! My peach were ripe! I made this with the exception of the blu cheese whipped cream. I had the whipped cream, but the blu cheese didn’t need a thing so I just crumbled a few pieces on! It’s delightful!
Thank you so much, Jeanne! When you’ve got really good blue cheese, why mess with it, right? Sounds delicious. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!