I recently had the good fortune to meet several “Wine Country Women” who are featured the book “Wine Country Women of Napa Valley at an event at the Kitchen Collective in Napa. Our group was small-ish, so the affair allowed for much tasting, cooking and networking by Commercial Real Estate Women of the San Francisco area, the Wine Country Women, and Kitchen Collective Chef Garret Murphy and his stellar team.
The panel of Wine Country Women included Lusine Hartunian, Owner of Napa Valley Distillery and Napastäk; Suzanne Truchard, a Napa Valley attorney and real estate broker; and Clarice Turner, President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards.
Before the women spoke of their business experiences and leadership of their respective companies, we tasted several featured wines from the collective as well as Napastäk infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Whilst both held my attention and taste buds, it was the infused balsamic vinegars that most inspired me. So much so, I came away with a bottle each of raspberry and Persian lime white balsamic vinegars.
This peach salad is perfect for summer. We’re at the height of peach and raspberry picking season. I like including arugula as its slight bite is a nice contrast to the fruit. The pinch of chile provides a new dimension and depth that actually brightens the salad.
Please use this as a guide. It’s salad – so mix and match to your preferences! Any summer fruit will do, stone fruits, other berries, even watermelon will be delicious. A generous crumble of goat cheese will work here too.
Summer Peach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Makes about 8 cups
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 6 cups salad greens, loosely packed. I used spinach and arugula here, about 4 – 5 ounces total by weight
- 2 medium peaches, ripe but still firm, sliced into wedges. Using a “freestone” variety is ideal as the pit will come away easily from the flesh of the peach.
- 1/ 2 pint raspberries
- 1/ 4 cup chives, sliced into 1/ 2” lengths
- 1/ 4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
RASPBERRY VINIAGRETTE INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons raspberry infused white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, select a milder variety so it doesn’t overwhelm the raspberries
- 1/ 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/ 2 teaspoon chile flakes, Korean gochujang chile is mild, bright and fruity
- Pinch of sea salt, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the dressing. Combine the Dijon mustard, salt, chile flakes and vinegar in a small bowl or jar. Mix well. Either slowly whisk in the olive oil or pour it into the jar and shake until fully incorporated. The mustard helps to emulsify the vinegar and oil. Set aside until ready to dress the salad.
You’ll notice this doesn’t make a large quantity of dressing. I prefer my salads lightly dressed, especially if using spinach and arugula that wilt quickly under the weight of dressing. By all means make more as you prefer or change up the greens – especially if using kale or something hearty.
Prepare the salad. Rinse and dry the salad greens and place in a large bowl. Add the chives and toss to distribute throughout. Add the dressing to taste and toss again. Add the peaches and raspberries and fold in ever so gently. Top with toasted almonds just prior to serving.
A note about the book Wine Country Women of Napa Valley: It is a gorgeous coffee-table-esque cookbook that has taken the concept of recipe “headnote” to the hilt. An extensive biography of each woman precedes the recipe of her offering. The background is both interesting and entertaining for those who are interested in the Napa Valley lifestyle. One thing I appreciate about cookbooks featuring collections is that I imagine each contributor really want to highlight their favorite, a winning “best of” from their kitchen to mine.
