This Grilled Nectarines and Fresh Mozzarella Stacked Salad is a bit challenging. At least it is to me. I don’t mean it’s challenging to eat. Grilled nectarines are a marvel. Make grilled nectarines the center of a summer salad and the only challenge the eaters in your life face is stopping at just one stack of this summer bounty.
No, for me the challenge in this salad comes in presentation.
As a cook, I’m big on presentation. Fabulous food sloppily presented seems half-baked to me. That’s not saying I don’t love a casual presentation. Family-style lasagna. Bread fresh from the oven torn into chunks. Meticulously made cocktails spilling over the sides of the glass. I love this sort of casualness– as long as it’s thoughtfully casual. I’m not saying I’ll ever succumb to burlap napkins or rusty forks, but thumb your way through Judy Rodger’s Zuni Cafe Cookbook and you will see page after page of thoughtfully presented food. All of it is so casual I’d be tempted to put my elbows on the table at her house. I bet she encourages elbows on the table.
Grilled Nectarines
So as summer comes to an end I have grilled nectarines in a thoughtfully casual summer salad. We can’t let summer slip away without enjoying the last of ripe, juicy nectarines. I kicked up my casual summer salad a notch or two with lime, cumin, and chili dressing. I made the salad just casual enough by throwing the fruit on the grill and layering the grilled nectarines with slices of creamy mozzarella– just beginning to melt.
The challenge comes when stacking. Work carefully and quickly, the warm nectarines are intended to melt the mozzarella. Which can quickly cause your stack to tumble from thoughtfully casual to deliciously sloppy.
Of course, you could serve this salad deliciously sloppy– of course, you could. But I couldn’t (I just couldn’t). GREG
When stacking, work carefully and quickly as the warm peaches will melt the mozzarella causing the stack to spread deliciously across the salad plate. Also if you don’t think you can’t get 4 slices from either side of the pit use an extra nectarine to be assured that you have enough slices.
Ingredients
- 5 large, ripe but firm nectarines
- 2 green onions (sliced using the white, light green and some of the dark green parts)
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves (loosely packed) plus more as garnish
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lime (zest only)
- 2 limes (juice only)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ounce baby spinach (washed)
- 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella (cut into sixteen ¼‑inch slices)
Directions
Peel and chop 1 nectarine; set aside. Cut remaining 4 nectarines into 32 (¼‑inch-thick) rounds. (Cut nectarines inward from sides, cutting 4 slices on each side just until you reach the pit. Save the remaining bits for another use.)
In a mini-food processor puree chopped nectarine, green onions, ¼ cup cilantro leaves, honey, salt, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, and chili powder. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube until thoroughly combined; Set aside. May be made up to 3 days in advance. Re-emulsify before use.
Spray the cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush both sides of peach rounds with some of the nectarine cumin dressing.
Grill nectarine rounds until grill marks appear; 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Arrange baby spinach evenly on 4 plates. Working quickly while the nectarines are still warm, alternately stack 4 of the larger grilled nectarine rounds and 4 cheese slices over spinach on each plate. Top each with 3 more of the smaller nectarine rounds (you will have extra rounds so choose the nicest). Drizzle with more dressing, to taste. Garnish with cilantro
Sounds lovely. Especially like the dressing with the fruit and cheese.
I have to go dust off Zuni Cafe — it’s been a while, thanks for the reminder… could use some Judy inspiration 🙂
LL
Oh just a few of my absolutely favorite things! Job well done.
Nicely stacked deliciousness!
SO pretty!! I love stacked salads and this is no exception. Yummy presentation 🙂
This stack not only looks beautiful, but I’m certain it’s super delicious — I could drink that dressing! I like to think I dress casually — with a lot of thought put into it. 😉
This looks delicious — nectarines are almost in season here, I cannot wait!
I’ve grilled peaches but not nectarines… Lovely combination of flavors!
hey, whether stacked or not, they look seriously good. That’s what matters right??, but I hear ya..
I totally agree and try to set up each photo like a blank canvas. Not sure if im actually accomplishing anything lol, but there’s so many more ways (without sounding like a snob) to display food than with a glass of milk and string tied cookies. Your stack looks great!!
I may have to sacrifice a few of my jam nectarines to make a plate of this salad! That spicy-sweet dressing sounds fabulous.
Of course you couldn’t, and your result is, as always stunningly gorgeous. I love grilled stone fruit. The heat heightens the flavor, and the caramelization sends it over the top. I have only paired grilled stone fruit with sweet side bars — ice cream, mascarpone, ricotta cream, and the like. It never occurred to me to do a savory combo. But, again, of course, savory occurs to you. Complimenti!
Any way you stack it, this will taste fantastic. Lovely.
I haven’t tried grilled nectarines before, and it’s such a shame. Love this recipe Greg! It’s such a fabulous way to use up stone fruits 🙂
Mine would have ended up in a tidy ring on the plate since I don’t have the patience to be artfully sloppy.
Okay we are culinary kindreds, but we knew that right? I also have the Zuni Cafe Cookbook! Just FYI, tomorrow night I’m making sweet potato gluten free pasta, with Italian Sausage and Broccoli rabe with Pecorino.
Zero chance I’ll make gluten free pasta! GREG
I admire your ability to make food look good in an artful and tidy way. Casual/sloppy but delicious style seems to be my default mode…