Meatless, Luscious, Fun - WAY South Peach and Lime Salad

I love this time of year. Just when the season for one juicy, wet and sweet fruit like cherries begins to wane another is right on its heels. Peach season has arrived in Georgia. (WooHoo!) Last Friday night I  got to use a bunch of them to toss up a luscious, local, super-seasonal salad at the Lilburn Farmers Market.

Peaches are great in savory dishes like BBQ sauce or as glaze for a fat pork chop, but this way of using them is one of my favorites. Based on the Mango and Lime Avocado Salad in my cookbook, I swapped the mango with peaches and used Georgia pecans as the nuts. Of course, avocados and limes are not grown in Georgia, thus the name: WAY South Peach and Lime Salad.

Try it as a side salad or add some grilled shrimp on top and call it dinner. Anyway you eat it, it's divine

WAY South Peach and Lime Salad

1 TB Lime Juice

1 TB Lime Zest

½ Tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tsp Hot Pepper Jelly

1/3 Cup Toasted Nut Oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1 Bag Baby Spinach

6 -8  Ripe Peaches, Peeled and Chopped

1 Pint Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, Halved

3 Ripe Avocadoes, Chopped

1 Cup Toasted Pecan Halves

About 6 Stems of Basil, Leaves in “Chiffonade”

Step 1

To make the dressing, add the lime juice, zest, mustard, jelly and oil to a jar. Shake well to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside.

Step Two

On a large platter, layer the spinach, then peaches, tomatoes, avocadoes and finally the pecans. Drizzle the dressing over all. Garnish with the Basil.

*What’s Chiffonade? Make a stack of your basil leaves and roll them up like a cigar. Slice through the roll thinly. Voila! Chiffonade