Grilled Peach Caprese Salad

Looking for something a little healthier to grill this summer than that same-old burger and fry combination? Tired of having to watch over the vegetables inside at the same time you grill your meat outdoors? Celebrity chef Melissa Cookston’s grilled vegetable sides are a great way to make this summer’s cookouts delicious without all the hassle!

GRILLED CAPRESE SALAD

“Summertime food should be fresh, enjoyable and flavorful. That is why I love this grilled peach caprese salad. The flavors in it just scream summer flavor to me. I found some wonderful peaches and blackberries recently and made this for a nice Sunday afternoon snack. I made a beautifully colored and flavored blackberry and white balsamic glaze to go over this, but you certainly don’t have to in order to enjoy this salad.”

 

The best peaches I find start appearing in mid-June and run through August. “Clingstone” peaches, where the pit is not easily removed, ripen first. “Freestone” peaches are more readily available in mid to late July. For grilling, freestone peaches are much more desirable. Clingstones taste every bit as sweet as freestones, but you lose yield as you can’t get the pits out. However, I had clingstones and dang it I was going to use them!

Instead of being able to easily remove the pit, I simply sliced of pieces from around the pit.

Oil the grates of your grill and make sure they are clean.  On a medium hot grill, place the peach pieces flesh side down and grill for 3-4 minutes, or until you get grill marks.  Turn them over and let the skin side get marks, then remove.

Allow to cool somewhat, then assemble a caprese with fresh basil, sliced mozzarella and your peaches. Drizzle over some of the blackberry white balsamic glaze, sprinkle with some fresh ground black pepper and sprinkle with a little flake salt. Peach Perfection! Enjoy!

Make sure to check out Melissa’s website for even more flavorful recipes