For many of us, a simple trip to the farmer’s market can provide such joy these days. The aromas, the array of colors, and the people! Oh how nice it is to see people – outside, masked, and there to support our local farmers and their hard work. Even greater than joy, our health is directly affected by these essential workers by providing fresh, organic produce. The best medicine during a global pandemic! We are so grateful for our farmers.
If a trip to the farmer’s market is on your agenda for the weekend, I would put good money on fresh tomatoes and peaches being part of your haul. They are so SO good right now and I cannot stop eating them. Out of hand is the most common way for me to consume these tasty fruits, but with so much time at home these days, I’ve incorporated some really yummy salad lunches for my husband and me to enjoy.
One of those recent lunches was this arugula salad. All the produce came from a quick Thursday stop at the farmer’s market and provided one of the tastiest salads we’ve had this summer, and we’ve had a lot of them – look for a post soon on all things salad!
The combination of peaches and tomatoes makes perfect sense. You may be familiar with the old saying – what grows together goes together. It could not be more true in this case! The golden beets are roasted and beautiful on the plate – but deep red would be pleasing as well. If you’re feeling spunky, some thinly sliced jalapeno or serrano pepper would be delicious with the peppery arugula. Or add that surprise kick with my favorite salt right now, Jacobsen Salt Co.’s Habanero Salt. So tasty!
I hope you have a great weekend and make time to stop at one of your local farmer’s markets!
Cheers,
Christina
Arugula Salad with Tomato, Peach and Roasted Golden Beets + Shallot Vinaigrette
This salad is summer on a plate. Thick juicy tomato wedges, ripe fresh peaches and earthy golden beets meet peppery arugula and creamy goat cheese. Crispy torn bread and crunchy salt pulls the whole dish together. This is a great place to play with different vinegars for the dressing – some of my favorites include sherry and red wine vinegar. Different types of flake salt are also a fun way to change the flavor up a bit – Jacobsen Salt Co. Habanero Salt or Smoked Maldon Salt sprinkled on the finished plate is a fun flavor surprise.
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 peaches, sliced into thick wedges
- 4 small golden beets, roasted and thinly sliced see note
- 4 early girl tomatoes, sliced into thick wedges
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup torn croutons see note
- ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
- flake salt and ground pepper
Shallot Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp small shallot, minced
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp honey
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch Maldon salt, or any coarse flake salt
Instructions
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Add shallot and vinegar to a jar with a lid. Let sit 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake.
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Working with four dinner sized plates, place beet slices overlapping in a circle.
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Scatter peaches and tomatoes around the circle, leaving the middle of the circle empty. Season everything with salt and pepper.
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In a small bowl, toss the arugula with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Pile the arugula in the center of the circle. Scatter goat cheese and croutons, seasoning with a touch more salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes
For roasted beets – trim stem and root but leave unpeeled. Place in a foil lined roasting pan and add ¼ cup water, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 400° until you can pierce the beets with a sharp knife and have little resistance. Let cool enough to handle and using a paper towel, gently rub off skin.
For torn croutons – cut 1 inch thick slices of country bread, or any other sturdy, day-old bread. Trim crust or leave on for a more rustic crouton. Tear each bread slice into sizeable pieces (about 1 inch) and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil enough to coat the bread and toss with a little kosher salt. Bake in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes, turning with a spatula to encourage even browning.