Nothing symbolises summer more than a big bowl of salad in the centre of the table. Ingredients are lovingly thrown together - whatever's growing in the garden, whatever's left in the fridge. The humble salad is a beautiful messy gathering of the season's greatest gifts.
In the warm summer sunshine, we yearn for lighter, less hearty meals - food to match the weather. When it's time for summer feasting and mid-week alfresco dining, we've put together a delicious salad which makes use of the summer bounty.
Goat's Cheese & Grilled Nectarine Summer Salad
This salad is the perfect combination of warm and sweet nectarine, crunchy bitter leaves, fragrant flowers and creamy lemony Quicke's Goat's Milk Clothbound Cheese, drizzled with a Classic House Dressing. Pair with a loaf of bread and some white wine to wash it down with.
The Salad
Go for salad leaves that have lots of varying flavours, tones and textures. We used Mary's salad which is homegrown in her garden in this lush corner of Devon. Featuring leaves of all shapes, sizes and flavours, including edible flowers and lots of colour. Read more about Mary's Garden Salad here.
The Cheese
Our hard Goat's Milk Clothbound Cheese is crafted from the finest locally-sourced goat’s milk. Its light, fresh, zesty and vibrant flavour makes it a brilliant summer cheese for shaving atop a salad. Handcrafted by our expert cheesemakers, clothbound and naturally matured in our cheese store, typically for 6 months.
The Fruit
Fresh nectarines are one of the highlights of the summer stone fruits and are available from late April until late August in the Northern Hemisphere. We heated them through on a chargrill pan to create those beautiful contrasting lines on the fruit's flesh and add a deliciously subtle smoky flavour.
The Dressing
A good dressing is an important finish for a salad. Anything too overpowering will kill off the flavours you have lovingly put together. If you don't have time to make your own, we recommend Lucy's Dressings. We used the Classic House Dressing, a simple but striking blend of sunflower oil, olive oil, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. You can pick their dressings up in Waitrose or order them from Ocado.
Method
Simply throw it all together, and enjoy!
