Sunday, March 6, 2011

Grilled Nectarine and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

I love recipes like this one that can save out-of-season fruit.  Of course, it would be better to wait and have my nectarines in summer, but sometimes it's chilly outside and I need something to tide me over!  Grilled nectarines come to the rescue, and they're especially nice because you can make them with a grill pan (perfect for cold weather).  And really, you wouldn't want to heat up a whole grill for two nectarines, so if you don't have a grill pan I think a plain old skillet would work just fine.

Along with the grilled nectarines is an absolutely fantastic balsamic syrup.  Feel free to use whatever herb you like here, or none at all - the original recipe called for thyme, but we had rosemary in the garden so I went with that with great results.  Since this salad doesn't have too many ingredients, be sure to use a good fresh mozzarella cheese - I got mine at Cowgirl Creamery and loved it.  When everything was tossed together, this salad really did taste like summer in a bowl, which was just what I needed with the weather we've been having lately!


Grilled Nectarine and Fresh Mozzarella Salad (adapted from Fine Cooking magazine)
Serves 4

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 firm nectarines, each sliced into about 10 slices
Olive oil
Salad greens
Salt and pepper
6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

1. Bring the vinegar and rosemary to a boil in a small, non-stick saucepan, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until the vinegar is thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil.  [You could also easily use a regular grill or even just a skillet for this step.]  Arrange the nectarine slices on the grill in one layer, working in batches if you need to, and grill until browned and tender, flipping once.  Allow to cool slightly.
3. Toss the salad greens with olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste.  Add the mozzarella and grilled nectarines.  Drizzle with the reduced balsamic syrup.

5 comments:

  1. This looks really refreshing, something my daughter would just love too.

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  2. OMG, I have been craving sweet fruits for the past few days. This looks delicious!

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  3. Sara, I love the idea of adding fresh fruit and mozzarella to a salad! What a lovely combination of flaovrs. You have a beautiful blog and I'm looking forward to exploring your recipes!

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  4. I LOVE Cowgirl Creamery and all their cheese. Your salad makes me look forward to Spring and all it's bounty. I also like to add grilled fruit to my salad but I wrapped it in prosciutto and then grill it. I'll have to try it with the balsamic reduction!Looks perfect!

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  5. I love pairing grilled fruits in cheese. Your rosemary infused balsamic syrup sounds amazing.

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