Stone Fruit, Pesto, and Summertime
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Stone Fruit and Collard Peanut Pesto Salad
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Stone Fruit: A Summertime Delight for Both Home Cooks and Restaurants
Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries are all examples of stone fruits.
The name stone fruit is an endearing favorite of mine. Though it was not a familiar phrase, I discovered it during our membership in a produce club several years ago. Regularly receiving a box of fresh vegetables from local farms brought surprises every few weeks. It was a wonderful experience as we encountered new produce that challenged us to explore creative ways of incorporating them into our meals. The club defined any fruit bearing a substantial pit or "stone" in its center as stone fruit. A beautifully simple and straightforward categorization.
Produce Collectives and Memberships give you great access to local farms.
The mention of stone fruit instantly evokes images of summertime, a season perfectly suited for incorporating fruits into savory dishes. Moreover, stone fruit's widespread availability in grocery stores makes it a popular choice for restaurant menus. Regardless of the location, you can find some variety in any grocery outlet.
Stone fruit is the perfect fruit for summertime.
Vibrant Flavors of Swiss Chard, Spinach, and Peanuts
When it comes to restaurant-friendly dishes, the inclusion of pesto as an ingredient serves as a clear signal to customers that they are in for a flavorful experience. While I had never ventured into making pesto, my partner Mike occasionally prepares a generous batch that we conveniently keep in our refrigerator. However, this time we used this unique pesto recipe, combining the vibrant flavors of Swiss chard, spinach, and peanuts resulting in a delicious blend.
House-made pesto is a vibrant and flavorful ingredient that should be included in a dish on every menu.
Although I was a novice when it came to making pesto, the recipe proved to be surprisingly easy to follow. However, my search for fresh collard greens was futile. I improvised by using Swiss chard, spinach, and an unidentified leafy green I stumbled upon at the market. Even the cashier was unable to identify it! It was rung up as chard. Whatever it was blended with the other greens nicely.
Spinach, Swiss chard, and peanut pesto.
Embracing the Season
Crafting a Menu that Honors Local Ingredients and Celebrates Cooking Traditions
Crafting a menu using seasonal ingredients is not only practical but also a testament to your understanding of the culinary journey and how it sustains our bodies throughout the year. It goes beyond simply utilizing available resources; it showcases your awareness of the ever-changing tapestry of flavors and ingredients in your local community, city, state, country, and even the wider world.
Showcase your restaurants awareness of local ingredients by offering a seasonal menu.
One recipe that caught my attention was featured in Food and Wine's collection of recipes for June, Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto, by Nicole A. Taylor. As I scrolled through various options for refreshing dishes during scorching summer days, this particular recipe captivated me. This recipe also pops up in the article titled Juneteenth Means Celebrating the Fruits of Our Labor, by the same chef. Eventually, I decided to prepare it over the Father's Day and Juneteenth weekend, immersing myself in the joy of creating something truly special.
Artful Plating: A Vibrant Side for Summer Gatherings
When it comes to preparing a dish, plating holds a special place in my heart. For me, it’s the easiest way I connect to making food. I’m in awe of food artistry. For this dish, the harmonious blend of pink, yellow, and green hues creates a visually captivating experience. Delicately layering the couscous, fruit, and pesto brought me great joy.
The presentation of this dish makes it an ideal addition to any event table. For restaurants, I recommend serving this side dish on a rectangular platter, perfect for a buffet line or a family-style table setting. Alternatively, the individual components can be stored separately and effortlessly assembled as a vibrant side to a BBQ entrée.
For instance, imagine pairing it with succulent BBQ Brisket and a generous chunk of cornbread, delivering a summer BBQ experience to your guests on a single plate. This combination epitomizes the perfect dish for summer gatherings.
Creating the summer BBQ experience.
Learning to Cook
Cooking Skill Level
I’m giving this recipe a 3 out of 5 on cooking skill level.
Yes, I am making this scale-up. It’s the first time I’ve considered a scale. But now that I’m learning to cook, and challenging myself, I have more perspective on skill level.
After arranging all the ingredients and kitchen tools in my prep basket, it took no time to get started. This recipe was easy to assemble because I did not have to make all the components simultaneously. By focusing on one part at a time, I was able to take breaks and re-read the recipe as often as needed.
Prep basket includes all dry ingredients for the Stone Fruit and Chard Peanut Pesto Salad.
Making the Pesto
Assembling this recipe turned out to be surprisingly easy, considering I had never prepared pesto before. Initially, I anticipated that making pesto would be a time-consuming task, but with the help of a reliable food processor, the process was not too demanding. I took care to finely chop the leaves and eliminate any noticeable stringy portions (although a slight amount of stringiness remained in the pesto). To ensure thorough blending, I utilized a mini silicone spatula to scrape the garlic and peanut clumps from beneath the blade. I persisted in pulsing until I got the desired texture. With learning to cook, I’ve figured out that blending foods is all about making them edible.
Swiss chard, spinach, peanuts, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Making the Couscous
My two-store rule prevented me from finding fonio, so I used the suggested alternative, couscous. Fonio, I’ve read is very nutty, slightly sweet, and not overpowering in flavor. There is a brand called Yolélé that packages fonio and sells at some Walmarts and Targets, but it can definitely be found on Amazon.
Fonio
Couscous
Even though I did not cook with fonio, Trader Joe’s has Whole Durum Wheat Couscous that was a great replacement.
For full disclosure, I had to make the couscous twice!
Every time I come across a recipe involving grains, I find myself caught in a guessing game, trying to decide whether to follow the recipe instructions or rely on the packaging instructions of the grains. I usually attempt a hybrid approach, but it is essential to consider the specific dish being prepared.
Unfortunately, this time, my guess didn't work out as planned. I believe it was because the recipe instructed me to coat the couscous or fonio in oil beforehand, causing the grain to cook much faster than indicated on the package. As a result, I had to discard the burnt and stuck couscous at the bottom of the pot and start over. I was fortunate enough to have one remaining bay leaf! Cooking with a bay leaf gave the couscous a warm flavor.
Slicing the Stone Fruit
Achieving flawlessly sliced wedges from my nectarines and plums proved to be quite challenging. Nevertheless, once I arranged them on the plate, the jagged edges were hardly noticeable. Besides, when combined with the other elements of the dish, the vibrant colors immediately capture one's attention.
Pitted and freshly cut nectarines and plums.
FAWN Over the Holiday
Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto - and Smoked Ribs Make a Perfect Pairing
The Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto captivates the eyes with its beautiful presentation. I had been wanting to prepare this salad for quite some time and was pleased with the final look.
All the components of the dish tasted well together. I love the combination of sweet and savory. The stone fruit and pesto together delivered those flavors. Mike pulled out our smoker for a rack of ribs, and the salad was a perfectly paired side dish.
Stone Fruit and Chard Peanut Pesto Salad.
Food and Wine Night
When the weather is particularly nice, we like to do Food and Wine Night (#fawn) outside in the backyard. We enjoyed the ribs and salad with our current favorite wine, Map Maker Sauvignon Blanc from Staete Landt Marlborough at Total Wine, and More. The wine is light, floral, bright, and crisp. It goes well with everything. We had a lovely long weekend celebrating Father’s Day and Juneteenth, and this particular Food and Wine Night was a highlight!
Cin cin!
Stone Fruit and Chard Peanut Pesto Salad
Stone fruit salad served with smoked ribs and cornbread
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