Grilled Apricot and Peach Summer Salad

Summertime means wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. My favorite thing in the summer is grilled fruit. Grilling brings out the natural sweetness in the fruit and totally transforms it into a new food. And grilled fruit never needs any added sugar because their natural juices caramelize in the heat and naturally sweeten them. I am not usually a fan of fruit in my salad but this is a total exception. For this recipe I used fresh apricots and peaches; together these fruits offer a great balance of tang and sweetness. I also used caramelized onions which joined really well with the other components. I love this seasonal play on fruits and vegetables. And the cooked-down balsamic vinegar gives the whole dish another sweet kick. This recipe is a must-try while these amazing fruits are still in season – a warm yet refreshing salad that will impress your guests. (Also makes for killer left overs!) I used lacinato kale because I like this type better than curly kale when it’s cooked. And I used shaved brussels sprouts. If you live near a trader joes you can find both lacinato kale and the shaved  brussels sprouts there. If you’re buying whole brussels sprouts it’s really easy to shave yourself . And the crunch of the sunflower seeds gives this salad really nice texture. (Of course you can sprinkle with any nut.)I was Inspired by the incredible summer salads at Dig Inn – one of my favorite restaurants in NYC, which serves seasonal farm to table food daily – and by the plethora of beautiful stone fruit at the market this week! Enjoy this dish while these fruits are still in season. It is a great salad to bring to your next summer BBQ.

Recipe:

• 8 cups lacinato kale stemmed and chopped finely
• 4 cups shredded brussel sprouts
• 3 fresh apricots cut in half
• 3 peaches cut in 4
• 4 cups shredded brussel sprouts
• 1 cup pearl onion cut in half or 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• salt to taste

Drizzle with-Balsamic Date Dressing 

1. Spray a large pan with non-stick spray, over medium heat add onion and salt to taste. Sauté until brown around 7 minutes then cover and cook for another 10-12 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups of brussels sprouts and 1/4 balsamic vinegar. Cook till slightly soft for around 10 minutes. Mixing occasionally- you may need to add water from avoiding burning.
3. Lastly toss in chopped kale mix and cook for 2-3 minutes just to soften the kale. You can turn off the fire and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
4. For the peaches and apricots- spray a grill pan with non-stick spray place fruit on the pan and cook for around 5-7 minutes until grill marks start to appear. Then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Take your kale and brussels sprout mixture and place it in a large serving bowl place peaches and apricots on top, then sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
6. For the dressing drizzle Date Balsamic dressing to finish. Serve chilled or at room tempeture.