This Donut Peach and Tomato Salad recipe is more of a non-recipe than a recipe. I saw donut peaches in the shops and as I have never tried them before I bought some to taste, and from there I made this salad.
A summery combination of juicy peaches, fresh tomatoes, torn bocconcini and thinly sliced red onion. Topped with some torn fresh basil and a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve as a light meal on its own- especially in this Cape Town February heat – with a handful of roasted nuts and seeds. Or as an accompaniment to lemony grilled chicken breasts or poached sustainable fish.
The donut peach, also known as the “flat peach” or “Saturn peach” originated 200 years ago in China. According to Wikipedia, the peach was introduced to the USA in 1871 and gained popularity in the 1990’s. I also found this bit of its history on Bon Appetit:
Though the trees were originally intended for home gardeners, flat peaches growing in Washington were eventually brought to the attention of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, the company credited with making the produce section of the American grocery store infinitely more colorful and flavorful (they introduced spaghetti squash, kiwi, alfalfa sprouts, and hundreds of other fruits and vegetables to the US market). Karen Caplan, Frieda’s President and CEO and daughter of founder Dr. Frieda Caplan, remembers sitting in the conference room when a salesperson representing the farm pulled out the flat peaches. “Oh my God! They look like doughnuts!” And so the peach was named. In 1986, Frieda’s Specialty Produce trademarked the Donut name and enjoyed exclusivity as the flat peach purveyor for about a decade. With its juicy sweetness and eye-catching shape, “the Donut Peach “was a dream come true,” Caplan told me. “It was just a darling.”
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Donut Peach and Tomato Salad. If you’ve made the recipe share it with me by tagging @heinstirred on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #heinstirred
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Ingredients
- 4 donut peaches, cut into chunks
- 400g multi coloured baby/cocktail tomatoes, halved
- 150g bocconcini
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 10 basil leaves, torn
- Dressing
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30ml balsamic vinegar
- sea salt flakes and black pepper to season
Instructions
- Make the dressing by whisking the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and set aside
- Arrange all the ingredients on a platter
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and season
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Di@Bibbyskitchen
Feb 24, 2020
Testament to the art of nature. Gorgeously colourful!
heinstirred
Feb 24, 2020
Thank you Di. The last splashes of colour before magic muted autumn.
All That I'm Eating
Mar 12, 2020
Oh my this looks SO summery! You’ve made me think about all the things we’ve got to look forward to cooking when it gets warmer. Love peaches and tomatoes together.
heinstirred
Mar 12, 2020
Let the countdown to summer begin!