QUICK AND EASY ARUGULA, GRILLED PEACH, GOAT CHEESE AND HONEYED PECAN SALAD

Ripe and beautiful in season, peaches are the perfect accompaniment to a first, second or third course.  Grilling them brings out the flavour and natural sugars.  If you are firing up your grill for dinner, then why not add peaches to your meal. If you don’t want to use grilled peaches in a salad, try grilling peach halves and serving them with yogurt for dessert.  You won’t need to add any sweetener since grilling the peaches brings out their natural sweetness, making for a perfect end to a meal!

Ingredients

For the Pecans

• ½ cup pecans
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Salad

• 4 ripe peaches
• 12 cups baby arugula
• ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled

For the Dressing

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• Plenty of freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. For the Pecans: Preheat oven to 300˚F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. On the prepared cookie sheet, toss the pecans with the honey and olive oil.  Bake for about 25 minutes, tossing several times during the cooking process.  All the honey should be absorbed but not crystallized.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Grill the Peaches: Prepare the grill. Heat grill to medium high heat.  Halve and pit the peaches. Run a sharp knife along each peach's seam to halve them. Remove the pit and cut each half in half so that the peaches are quartered.  Spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray
3. Grill the peaches, over medium heat, for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the peaches and cook until tender, another 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the peaches and grill until the skins are charred and the peaches are soft, 4 to 5 minutes more.
4. For the Salad: Place the arugula in a large bowl or platter, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt. Toss. Add the pecans, crumbled goat cheese and grilled peaches (1/2 grilled peach per serving).

Serves 8

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